Identities Crossed
by Yona Rider
Summary: My name's Avina. My story begins in Redmont, a fief looked over by the Ranger Halt. And me. The apprenticeship changed me and those around me. Made me better and also worse. This is my story, my adventure. I only hope that you can see it as it truly is.
1. Those Watchful Eyes

**Hey peeps, this my first fanfic for Ranger's Apprentice! Or anything for that matter... Tell me how I do? BTWS, Avina is pronounced "Aa-vin-uh". Starts like Gavin and ends with uh. Please review! I'm new here!(kinda)**

Avina moved silently through the trees, so as not to disturb anything that lurked in its seclusion. Her eyes darted across the area, searching for any abnormality. She sensed none. Suddenly, she stopped within a tree's shadow, head cocked slightly to the right. She was being watched. She relaxed when she realized that her visitor meant no harm, but was only curious as to what a thirteen year old girl was doing, creeping about in the forest. She glanced at the sky and guessed that she had at least a half hour before it became difficult to see. Finally, her destination was in sight. The Ward in Redmont fief. No one was about on the street, which was a bit suspicious. Avina wondered if the visitor that had watched her in the woods had anything to do with it. She quickly made her way across the streets and stopped at the Ward. She slipped behind the building and looked up at her window on the second floor. With great ease, she began to climb up the wall. She was about to slip into her room, when a voice stopped her.

"Hey, Avina!" Avina sighed and sat on the windowsill, turning to the voice.

"Hello, Braxton." She greeted her friend politely. She inwardly cursed as her accent messed with the words. Braxton was a healthy boy of fifteen with a muscle build that would make most people cower. His dusty brown hair and kind blue eyes however, contradicted his look. He was like a huge teddy bear.

"Coming back from the woods again?" He asked cheerfully. She gave a slight smile and nodded.

"Was I noticed?" She asked nonchalantly, already knowing the answer. He snorted.

"You never get caught," He grumbled. "But when I try to sneak out, it's like an alarm was sound."

"Someone was following me." Her voice was impassive. Braxton stared in shock.

"Really? How do you know?"

"I could hear him. In the forest."

He shook his head. "Wow, I didn't think anything could creep up on-" Avina immediately slipped into her room.

"Braxton! What in heaven's sakes are you doing, child?" The caretaker yelled from behind him. Braxton groaned.

"It's not healthy to talk to yourself! You don't want people calling your crazy! Get inside before I teach you a lesson!"

Avina rolled her eyes as she heard him mutter curses too soft for the caretaker to hear.

"Yes, ma'am." He replied, defeated, and his footsteps to the door were well within Avina's hearing range. She waited for a few moments, knowing that Braxton would trek up the stairs to her room and start ranting on about how everyone always found him wherever he was. She positioned herself on the bed, legs crossed indian style. Her prediction was correct.

"That is so not fair!" He yelled as soon as he opened her door. She quirked an eyebrow and hid a smile. So predictable, she thought. "You see what I mean? I think she woke everyone up by how loud she was! You would think that Skandians were invading!"

"Why would everybody be asleep this early in the evening?"

He stopped and glared. "You and your smart tongue." He grumbled again.

"Nervous?" She suddenly asked.

"Not on your life!"

She was silent.

"Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it!"

She chuckled. Tomorrow was the Choosing Day and Braxton was _clearly_ nervous. However, Avina thought that he had no reason too. After all, he would be accepted, no doubt, into his desired school. Battleschool. Avina probably would ask for this as well, despite her gender and small stature. Scribeschool was not for her. Her calligraphy was excellent, but she simply found it boring to sit around, do paperwork, and learn about writing. Horseschool was out of the question as well. She loved horses, but the Battlehorses were huge and once again, she doubted that she would be accepted because of her gender and figure. The Diplomatic Service was a reasonable choice. She would make a great Diplomat, a popular choice for the ladies for they were known to have more wit than a boy would have. But once again, it was boring to her. Cooking? She liked to cook. Would she like it as a job? No. She sighed and found a small pit of nervousness in her stomach, which was very unusual for her. She glanced at Braxton and saw that he was looking at her dumbly.

"You weren't listening, were you?"

She gave him an apologetic look. "You were talking about Battleschool?"

He looked happy. "Oh, Avina, I really want to get in! I just think that maybe one day, I'll be a famous knight, a hero in Araluen!" His eyes gleamed and she gave a soft smile. It was nice to see that he was so optimistic.

The look left his eyes abruptly and was replaced with a curious gaze. She looked at him warily.

"What do you want to be?"

She thought about it and then sighed. "I really don't know." She said simply. He was about to say something else, but was interrupted.

"Time for bed, or else none of you will be going to see the Baron and your future Craftsmasters!"

Braxton sighed and then looked at Avina with that cheerful look. "See you tomorrow!" With that, he ran out of her room and into his own.

"Night." She whispered, even though he was gone. Avina looked out the window and was mildly surprised to see that it was dark already. She sighed as her stomach grumbled. She quietly crept off of her bed and sat on the windowsill again, looking out into the sky and at the dimly lit stars. It had been a night like this one when Avina first arrived at Araluen. At the Ward. She didn't remember where she was from or who her parents were. She didn't even know who she really was. She was just Avina. The dagger-wielding, enemy-maker Avina. For a moment, she considered going into the forest again. The memory of the man watching her came back and she became reluctant. But there was an even stronger sense of curiosity that led to Avina slipping out the window and jumping to the ground. Most people would've hurt something in the fall, but Avina landed silently and gracefully. Practice makes perfect, she thought.


	2. Meeting The Ranger

She looked at the full moon and cursed at the sight. It would be a little bit more difficult to get across and into the forest with light streaming onto her, lighting her like a lantern. And the sky was clear, no blemishing clouds to aid her in sneaking out. She sighed and crept quickly into the building shadows and ran swiftly and softly to the tree line. At least, as far as her ability let her. She tried as little as possible to make any noise. She wouldn't admit it, but the darkness did little to soothe her quickly beating heart and she felt a small glimmer of anxiousness. What if the person she was seeking was after her? She shook her head. If he wanted her, he would've killed or captured her well before she could reach the town. Or maybe he was simply waiting for nightfall, knowing that her curiosity would drive her to the trees. She constantly scanned the area and then froze. She felt a prickling gaze on her back. Avina slowly turned around, but saw no one. She stood still, trying to catch a flicker of movement that would compromise his position. But all was quiet. The sensation left her and she continued on, a bit unnerved. Once again, she stopped. What was she doing here? She was simply asking for a death wish, wandering around the woods at night and looking for a person that was watching her. She made her decision to turn around and go back. But as soon she turned around, she unsheathed the knife hidden inside her leggings and threw at her target. She heard a grunt.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" She ordered, no fear in her voice but she rose on her toes, ready to run away at the first sight of danger. Suddenly, a man seemed to materialize out of nothing right in front of her. She wanted to take a step back, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had made her nervous.

"You shouldn't throw knives at innocent bystanders."He said calmly. Avina noticed that he had an accent as well, but his was just a burr. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. He was holding her knife as if to invite her to take it, hilt first. She hesitated and quickly stole it out of his grip. She studied his appearance. His black hair was unkempt and peppered with light gray streaks. His beard was in the same condition, as if he had tried to shave and cut his hair with a crude knife and without a mirror. His eyes were dark and gave away no emotion. She took note that he was taller that her, but definitely shorter that Braxton.

"And what is an innocent bystander doing following around a girl in a forest?" She retaliated.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he was suspicious of what a girl was doing creeping about in a forest?" She stared for a moment as she noticed his green and gray cloak and took in his statement.

"You're a Ranger." She realized. "What's your name?" She had never actually known who the Ranger of this fief was.

"Names aren't important."

"Then what is?"

"You going back to the Ward." So this Ranger had watched her enter her window. But she was sure that no one had followed her into the town. This was a real Ranger. She looked into his eyes for a moment before walking slowly to him. He stood still, waiting to see what she would do. She stopped right in front of him for a few moments, and then like a cat, she turned to pass him, her shoulder almost touching him. He looked down at her out the corner of his eye, but she didn't look back. She just continued to walk until he couldn't see her anymore. Once she was out of sight, her footsteps seemed to vanish. Very quiet, he thought.

The old Ranger thought about this young lady. She had showed no fear to a man that had been following her. A man that was a Ranger, who people thought were into the Dark Arts and were Black Magicians. In fact, she had challenged him and he felt a glimmer of respect for her. She had considerable skill, walking through the forest almost as silently as one of his old apprentices did, who was now one of the very best in unseen movement. And he was actually surprised when she threw the dagger at him. He considered her having weapons but didn't realize that he had been heard. She was very good.

Avina made her way back to the town and once again climbed the wall and entered her room. She looked at her dagger and walked to her bed, putting it under her pillow. She started to undress and put on her night clothes. She sat on her bed and looked around the dark room. This would be the second to last night that she would spend in this room, the room she had lived in for four years. Tomorrow, she would make a life-changing choice. And she didn't even know what choice that would be, yet.

She thought about that Ranger that had stopped her. He was so silent. He had managed to follow her all the way back without her noticing him. The only reason she had _thought_ she had seen him in the first place was because she knew what it felt like for someone to constantly watch your back without being seen. She shivered as some unpleasant memories came back. Memories that she didn't need to remember. The past is gone, she reminded herself. But it sure did keep coming back. She opened the bed covers and slipped in, resting comfortable on her left side. She didn't realize how tired she was until she felt her eyes close down. For a few moments, the only thing she felt and heard in the room was her own breathing. All nervousness left her and she let sleep succumb to her.

* * *

"Hurry up children, or you'll be late for the Baron's!" The caretaker yelled. Avina ran into Braxton's room, already dressed in a probably-not-so-appropriate-for-her-age skirt and tunic. Her eyes widened and she averted her gaze as she saw Braxton hopping around in his underwear while trying to put his pants on. His face and ears reddened.

"Can't you knock?" He fumbled with his words after he put his pants on.

She looked at him. "Your door was open." Now he was taking off his shirt and looking for a new one. This time she looked at him straight in the eye, giving a small smirk and nodding approvingly.

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any redder." She chuckled.

"Shut up!" His face looked like it was on fire. He finally found a shirt and was slipping on his shoes just as the caretaker came in.

"Braxton, will you hurry up? We're all waiting on you! Oh good, Avina, you're already dressed." Avina tipped her head in acknowledgment.

"Coming, coming." He grumbled as he finished up. Avina took off with Braxton following her down the stairs, and behind them, the caretaker.

* * *

The Ward children gathered into the Baron's study and looked around. They gathered in a line by height. Avina was last, standing only a mere five foot. One by one, each of her Ward mates were accepted into their desired school. She felt proud when Braxton had announced Battleschool as his choice and was accepted quite easily. Then it was her turn.

"Name?" Asked the annoying Martin.

"Avina A-Estrela... my lord." She replied and noticed a few of the Craftsmasters look confused at her last name. She shrugged. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Ranger slip into the room. He was invisible to all but her.

"And your preference?"

She was about to say that she didn't care, and was surprised at what came out of her own mouth. "Ranger Corps."


	3. Only One Year After

As soon as she heard her own words, she froze and the Craftsmasters began to murmur. Why had she said that? She didn't want to be a Ranger, did she? She sure didn't want to work on a farm for the rest of her life.

"A Ranger?" The Baron ask, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"There's never been a female in the Ranger Corps!" Sir Rodney, the Battlemaster exclaimed.

Lady Pauline nodded. "That's true, but it doesn't mean there never will be."

Baron Arald still looked perplexed. Then, he realized that the Ranger was standing next to him.

"Oh! Halt! I didn't see you come in! Well, what do you think?"

Avina's eyes flashed for a moment. Halt. That was his name. She had heard epic stories of him. Halt's eyes seemed to size her up for a moment. Then he gave a quick, short nod.

"Approved."

More murmuring commenced. The Baron looked even more confused than ever, but nodded slowly.

"Very well... Apprentices, report to your Craftsmasters tomorrow morning at eight."

Avina followed her now former Ward mates, and Braxton stepped back to fall in line with her. She noticed that Baron Arald was talking to Halt.

"May I have a private word with you?" The Baron whispered. She didn't hear Halt's reply.

"Are you crazy?" He exploded, taking Avina's attention off their conversation. "A Ranger? What were you thinking? You know they're Black Magicians!"

Avina resisted the urge to roll her eyes as they walked down the stairs. "They are not Black Magicians. It's their cloaks, and they're trained to move stealthily."

He didn't look convinced. "Whatever. Well, it's better than working on a farm, I guess. And anyways, you're good at sneaking around.

She gave him a withered look as they stepped outside.

"I didn't mean it like that." He apologized. "Well, I did, but not exactly-"

She sighed and looked up, feeling the temptation again to roll her eyes. "So you must be glad about getting into Battleschool."

His eyes lit up and he turned around talking along the way, assuming that Avina was following. She wasn't. She waited for a few moments before taking a step back and then ran back inside the building.

"Avina, are you listening to me?" Braxton turned around and took in the building and outstretched door. He smirked when he realized what she was doing.

"Avina, you're going to be a great Ranger." He chuckled and turned around.

When she was sure that Braxton and the rest were gone, she slipped out of the building and glided across the grass to get to the other side. She knew it was broad daylight, but she was going to have to risk it. After all, there were almost no sentries posted around at this hour. Avina gripped a protruding stone and began to quickly make her way up. Years of climbing had strengthened her shoulders and arms, and the trip up was of little difficulty. As soon as she got to the ledge of the window, she noticed that a tree on the other side of the tower had a bushel of branches that had grown around the tower, providing cover. She took hold of the branch and sat on it, making sure her legs didn't dangle. She could hear their conversation quite well. She bent her head, her ear inclined to the direction of the voices.

"But she's only thirteen! She shouldn't even be here to take up a craft! The only reason she's here is because we couldn't let her live alone in the Ward." That was the Baron.

"It's better that way. The earlier she learns, the better she will become."

"I don't understand! Hasn't it been only a year since Gilan left?"

"Surely you don't want her to work in the fields?"

"Of course not. But I am concerned about the child's safety."

Silence.

"It will be dangerous and hard for a girl. She won't be as strong as a boy."

"And yet she's strong enough to climb up this wall and rest in a tree branch?"

Avina's head shot up and her eyes met Halt's brown ones. She heard the Baron exclaim something, but she was only focused on Halt. She felt a spasm of fear and that frightened her even more, but she would never let it show. This was a man who could kill someone before the person even realized they were dead. He jerked his head as if to tell her to come in and he moved away from the window. Lithely, she took a hold of the ledge and swung her legs over and into the room. She sat calmly on the ledge, showing no proof of her inner turmoil.

Baron Arald stared at Halt. "You were right. How?"

Avina raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the Ranger had predicted her arrival.

"She came after me in the woods. She was curious. I knew she'd come now."

"In the woods?"

Avina cut in. "He followed me in the forest and to the Ward, which led to me coming back into the forest to follow him." The Baron blinked.

"What were you doing in the forest in the first place?" He asked. She didn't expect that.

"She passed my test. Again." Halt changed the subject.

"Test?" Avina echoed.

"Of course."

The Baron sighed. "Very well. I will respect both of your decisions. Not that you would care?" He lightly joked.

Halt said nothing. Avina hid a smile. Everybody respected the Baron so much that they didn't realize he was joking.

"Report to my cabin tomorrow at six." Halt said suddenly and without another word, he quietly walked to the door and slipped away, making no sound.


	4. Saved By A Handsome Stranger

Avina stared at the door for a moment, about to leave.

"You don't seem very excited for becoming the first female apprentice of a Ranger." The Baron noted.

She gave a glance in his direction and was silent for a moment. "I don't know why I picked it." She confessed. "It just sort of.. happened. And I don't even know why he said yes."

He nodded. "Rangers are strange, and Halt's one of the strangest ones out there. But he obviously saw something in you, something I didn't see in you before."

Her eyes met his. "And now?"

He shrugged. "You seem... different... from the rest of the children. At first, I believed it was because you were young, but... it's obvious I misunderstood. You're something special alright, and Halt saw that in you."

She looked back at the door.

"You should leave to get some rest. I know for a fact that Halt's not happy when apprentices are late. And believe me, there's nothing worse than an angry Ranger."

Avina's lips twitched briefly and she tried to copy Halt's silent movements. She quietly closed the door and ran down the stairs, as silently as she could. She opened the door and ran as if she were running for her life. She continued her strides even when she passed the tree line and into the forest. She made twists and turns as if she were running away from an invisible enemy, an enemy that she knew too well. She was running away from her future. She stopped and put her hands on her knees, her breath coming in fast gulps. She was in emotional stress. Her whole entire life was about to change. All this time, she was hoping to get away from all the fighting, away from the things that made her the person she already was. From the thing that she knew had killed her family and had killed her on the inside. She didn't want to be a Ranger. She wanted to have a normal life. With friends like Braxton, and people like Maria, who she didn't really know and almost never talked to, but when she did it was one of those conversations of understanding. She didn't want to be a killer. Her breath had slowed down and she looked around.

"I didn't realize I went this far." She mumbled to herself, still slightly breathless. Her eyes scanned around the unfamiliar territory. She realized that it would be very difficult to go back. And it wasn't like she could just go in any direction. Dangerous things lurked in the forest and you never knew when something like a wild boar could come out, tusks gleaming with intensity, and red eyes that made your blood boil.

Avina folded her arms and sat down, crossing her legs. With a sigh, she realized there was absolutely no way she was getting back by herself. She decided that she would go a little bit farther to see if she could find the end of the trees.

* * *

Avina sighed. She had been marking trees where she had gone. She just passed one of these. She gave a light groan and looked up at the sky. She had wasted two hours just walking and she wanted to scream in frustration. All of a sudden, she heard a rustle and a scream. Her blood ran cold. That was no human scream. It was a blood-curdling scream of a crazed animal. Avina took out another one of her daggers, but she would only fight if she couldn't find a decent tree. She looked at the tree to the left, and was about to make a run for it, when a wild boar came charging out. Her eyes widened and she turned to run. Avina was fast, but she knew that the creature would eventually catch up to her.

Avina was afraid. She was terrified, scared for her wits, feeling an emotion that had never been felt as fierce as this. She managed to use her speed to jump and reach out for a high branch. Despite her short stature, she was very good at doing things like this. But she had to act quickly, because she knew that those white tusks weren't just for show. The animal gave another scream as it charged into the tree that Avina was in. But she was ready. She had already been preparing herself, gripping a branch and swinging from it. Just before the impact of the tusks onto the trunk of the tree, she let go and reached for her desired location. She continued to do this, swinging from tree to tree. And the boar began to follow he, crashing into any trees that she had been in. Avina was ready to get to the next branch when she felt a huge force ram into the tree, throwing her balance off. She had underestimated the beast's speed and because of her mistake, she would die for it. Avina closed her eyes as she fell, her arms crossed in front of her face. Though it wouldn't matter, she thought, for she was going to die anyways.

_Pain. _

Avina landed heavily on her shoulder and she gave a cry as she felt it crack. She opened her eyes expecting the boar to be upon her, but it was dead. An arrow was sticking out of its body, straight into the heart. A young man stepped out of nowhere, but by now Avina was used to this trick and saw the Ranger's cloak on him. He was extremely handsome and very quiet as he moved briskly. He dropped to a knee next to her.

"Are you badly hurt?" He asked, his voice soft and gentle. _Oh no... If he has a voice like that... He's already so handsome..._

She hesitated and winced in pain when a spasm ran through her shoulder. She went to grip it. He saw the action and took ahold of her arm.

"Allow me?"

Another moment of hesitation. But there was something in his eyes. Something in those deep forest green eyes that told her to trust this handsome blond-haired stranger. She put her arm down and he began to gently massage her shoulder, looking for the injured point. When he got to the muscle that connected to her chest, she hissed in pain.

"You landed on this bad." He murmured. "You'll probably have some bad bruising, but nothing too serious."

"Who are you? What's your name?" Avina asked warily, in case he would answer like Halt did.

He smiled. "Gilan."


	5. Teacher Meets The Master

"Well, I never! Girls swinging from trees like a monkey! It's not lady-like!" Avina sighed as the healer wrapped bandages around her shoulder and carried on with her rant. She was eternally grateful that she had chosen long ago to wear bandages on her chest. She looked down at her black bandages and sighed again. She would have to change them. They were going to rip soon. She cursed inwardly at her still-growing curves. Her body had already reached the point where she was thought of as a woman, in more than one way. Most thought that she was older even thought her height contradicted that. Avina grunted as the healer tightened the white bandage and tied it.

"There. Now, you stay out of the trees, understood?"

Avina nodded and reached for her shirt. She got up off of the bed and slipped her shirt on as she walked to the door. When she opened it Gilan was standing there, an amused look on his face. Avina gave him a flat look in return. He held the door open for her.

"After you, _my lady._" He burst out laughing. She stopped and spun around, using the force of her spin to punch him hard, straight in his gut. He immediately stopped laughing and doubled over, clutching his stomach.

"That hurt!" He whined.

"Does it look like I give a fu-"

"LANGUAGE!" Avina winced as she heard the healer screech.

Gilan chuckled again and straightened up. "Let's get out of here. Where should I take you? I might as well apologize to your family."

She looked at him weirdly. "Whatever for?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose I should explain what happened."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? I mean, it's no trouble at all." He looked slightly concerned.

"I insist. I gotta run some errands around here anyways."

He held out his hand. She took it and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."

He returned the smile and held onto her hand for a little longer. Then he mounted his bay horse and with another look at Avina, he rode off. She watched him until she lost sight of his figure. _Why couldn't I tell him? _She sighed and gripped her shoulder. Tomorrow morning, she would go to Halt's cabin. Injured. This was going to be fun. She began to run but cried out when her shoulder stretched painfully. _Yup, tomorrow is going to be SO fun._

* * *

Avina stood on the steps at Halt's cabin. The porch was decent. A large barrel was set next to some chairs. She sighed. A Ranger apprentice she would be. She shook her head at the thought and knocked on the door. There was no sound, no obvious movement inside. The door opened and there stood the seasoned Ranger.

"Well at least you're on time." He said gruffly. He let her inside and sat down in a chair at a table with a cup in hand. Avina smelled the bitter aroma of coffee. She looked around the small cabin. Her eyes caught a vase filled with wildflowers, which considerably brightened up the room.

Halt watched his new apprentice. She was smaller than the children at the ward. But smaller was good. Smaller was better when being a Ranger. He took notice of her long chocolate locks that curled all the way to the small of her back. She would have to cut it or it would bother her. Her green-grey-gold eyes were impassive. But he didn't know if this was good or bad. Her enemies would never find out what she was thinking and she probably wouldn't attract too much attention. Then the sunlight hit her through the window. Her curls lit up. Her tan skin glowed. Her eyes molded into one color and glittered with intensity. _Scratch that thought. She'll definitely attract attention._The sunlight faded and she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Halt was watching her. And that was the problem. He couldn't read her. She was different from the rest of the children he had seen. He would never be able to know exactly what she was thinking. _Unlike Gilan. _He thought dryly.

Yes, this would be a very difficult apprentice. He noticed that she was watching him.

"Your job, as of right now, is to _clean_."

Her eyebrow raised precociously. Something he would have done. "Clean." She repeated.

He nodded. "Does it look like there are servants here?"

Her lips slightly twitched. "I didn't know that Rangers got paid enough to hire servants."

Halt's eyes narrowed. Was that a shot? "Well, you're right. Either way, this is a lowly cabin that needs to be cleaned. And that's what a Ranger apprentice does."

She said nothing, but stood there, waiting. Very difficult.

"There's sweeping to be done. Broom's in that closet," He motioned to the door by the kitchen. "Firewood in the back. You saw the lean-to, didn't you?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Axe in there. Get water from the river. Bucket's obviously right there. Barrel's outside."

Avina blinked at the sudden list of commands but she shrugged and moved to the bucket first. She opened the door, looking at the barrel that she had noticed before she came in.

* * *

Avina's muscles ached and her shoulder was burning in protest. She had not expected that there would be so much work. But she kept her composure and did as her mentor instructed. He always gave double-edged praise. In fact, Avina wasn't even sure that it was praise at all. It was more of an insult with another little insult inside of it that was toned down a little bit so that it would seem like praise, when really, it was an insult. I didn't confuse you, did I?

"Can you cook?" Halt asked, sitting at the small table and reading a letter.

"Of course." She answered.

"Good. You're making supper."

And Avina indeed knew how to cook, Halt learned. He was quite impressed with the stew that she had prepared. It was probably even better than his own, but he would never admit it.

"You're pretty good at cooking. Next time you might succeed in not trying to poison me."

She mumbled something under her breath that suspiciously sounded like, "Oh, I'm trying to poison you."

She was getting very annoyed at the praising insults. She took the dishes, washed and dried them, and put them in the cabinet. She was now standing in the small living room with Halt examining his cabin. It was around maybe nine at night. Of course, she had no way of knowing this. She had no proper training (well she did now) and was always assuming the time. Halt nodded.

"Good. Go wash off and get to bed." Avina stared for a moment before turning around and quietly gliding to her room. She heard Halt's voice from behind her.

"You're going to have to cut your hair."

Avina stopped and turned around, giving him a flat look. "No."

Halt's eyebrow quirked for a moment. "No?"

"No." She repeated simply. "My hair. My haircut."

Halt blinked and narrowed his eyes. "I will not hesitate to tan the skin off your backside." He growled.

"So now you're threatening me because of my style?"

"Long hair's annoying. A Ranger with long hair is asking for trouble."

"Is that why your hair looks like it's cut with a knife and a broken mirror?"

His eyes twitched in anger and annoyance. "Remember who the master is here?"

"If you have to ask, it certaintly isn't you." _THOCK!_ Avina looked to the side. Halt's throwing knife was stuck into the wood about a centimeter from her face. Her eyes remained stoic but inside, she was shaken. One centimeter to her right and it would've been stuck in her face, not the wood. She averted her eyes back to Halt's cold brown eyes.

"You will not talk to me like that, girl. I accepted you as my apprentice. I took you from the Ward. I can take you back."

Avina heard the threat in his voice. He was dead serious and she knew it. She shrugged and walked into her room, closing the door.

Halt growled and cursed under his breath, something he normally didn't do. He hadn't believed that he could find an apprentice that was more annoying than Gilan. Amazingly, he had. And it was a girl. And talked even less than he did. He hated to admit it, but Avina was the female version of himself. He sighed and gripped his knife, pulling it out of the wood. He cursed even more when he realized that there was now a crack in the wood. He shook his head and retreated to his own room. This girl would be the death of him. Maybe he shouldn't show her the weapons tomorrow. After all, she might just get him back for that scare he had given her...


	6. Some New Friends With Old Aim

**Hey guys, what up? I wish I could get a lot more reviews... make my story look more impressive than it really is... But anyhow, here's a new chapter. I need to think of ideas... I'm just making stuff up as I go along and it's**** not turning out that great... So yeah. Reviews please?**

Halt was waiting for the questions to just explode but interestingly enough, they never came. Avina was as silent as a cat. He felt a twinge of annoyance. He had been so used to Gilan's personality and he was certain that the next time he took an apprentice, he would know exactly what to expect. That is, if he had a regular apprentice. Avina was by all means, not "regular". In any terms. And Halt had a suspicion that her past had a very big effect on the way she acted now. She was distant and cautious, as if she were expecting him to suddenly turn and strike her. Of course, she was defiant. She lacked respect for authority figures and talked back in spite. And every time he had even suggested to learn something about her, she immediately changed the subject. Currently, they were walking through the forest with Halt watching her technique in silent movement and giving her tips. She learned even faster than Gilan did and he was sure that her skills would rival his, if not Halt's.

"You have something on your mind."

Halt glanced at her, momentarily confused by her words, but satisfied that he had piqued her curiosity. "Do I?" He asked.

"If you want to ask me something, you might as well."

His eyebrow rose, something he had been doing more and more often but nonetheless, he complied. "You act very different from normal children."

"Normal?"

"You don't ask questions. You don't even seem interested in anything I say."

She scoffed bitterly. Her eyes were filled with contempt and she clenched her fist. Obviously, she was recalling something. "People get annoyed when you ask questions." She smiled, but it was cruel. "Answers come eventually, anyways."

Halt stopped and she copied his movements. Her eyes met his. "What exactly happened to you?"

She considered the question for a moment. "I grew up. I saw things no child should ever see. And I became what I hated the most."

Halt studied her calm face. "And what was that?"

She smirked coldly. "It wouldn't be fun if I told you my secrets this soon, now would it?"

He didn't reply to that. He merely began to walk again, his eyes in front. Avina stood for a moment before following.

"Where are we going?" She asked blandly. He looked at her. "I'm doing this for your benefit, you know." She said dryly.

"You'll see."

She snorted. "What's the point in asking questions when you get pointless answers?" She muttered.

"Don't ask pointless questions." She glared at him and began to mutter under her breath. He only heard a few things like "stupid old man" and "sneaky hypocritical sadist". In all, she was very colorful with her choice of words. They finally arrived at a clearing after Avina had calmed down and her words were limited to inside her head. Halt put down a bag of weapons that all Rangers used. He unfurled the bag and watched as Avina examined the bow, knife, and saxe knife.

"This is a recurve bow. When your muscles develop and become familiar with the bow, you'll be able to handle a longbow." She looked at the longbow that he was carrying. He handed the recurve bow to her. He could've sworn that there was a glint of familiarity in her eyes, but it was gone as a flash. Perhaps he was mistaken... But his instincts told him that she had seen these weapons before, and she knew how to fully use them. She slung the bow over her shoulder and also took the quiver full of arrows. She looked at it for a moment and took one of the arrows out. She put the quiver on her back and touched the arrow's point and feathers. She put it back into the quiver and waited, arms crossed. Halt decided to test her.

"This is your throwing knife. It has extra width at the tip for balance." He held it up for her to see. He noted fo her to carry on.

"The combined weight of the tip and hilt makes it hit its target." He nodded. His suspicions were correct. Then she asked him something that brought it home.

"No cuff?" He handed it to her, watching how she would put it on. She wrapped it around her arm and tightened the straps using her teeth, asking for no assistance and clearly stating that she wanted none. After she was finished, she took the knife from him and flipped it. She nodded approvingly.

"And last, the saxe knife." She stared at it, a light of curiosity on her face. He would have to explain this one.

"It's a knife originally made by the Skandians. It was called a sea ax, but over time, the words eventually molded into a single name. Saxe. The Rangers' is made by the finest steel, so ours is superior to the Skandians. The saxe is for close quarters, but we prefer that that doesn't happen. It can be thrown and can block a sword stroke." She nodded, understanding. He handed her the double scabbard and watched as she slung it around her waist.

"You'll need a belt for that. It'll be easier to access and it won't fall. But I suppose that works as well. Now try them out."

Avina looked around the clearing and picked her target. She selected an arrow and took her bow off. She placed the arrow on the string and brought it back tor the corner of her mouth using her first, second, and third fingers. Her back muscles flexed. She obviously knew how to handle it. She let it loose and it met the tree. Despite her hitting the tree, her lips twiched in dissatisfaction.

"An inch higher..." She muttered softly. She placed the bow on her back and unsheathed the throwing knife. With quick flip of her wrist, she released the knife. It hit home, an inch directly below the arrow, in the middle of the tree. This time, she smirked.

"Not bad, not bad. But..."

"Practice." She finished his sentence. "Lots and lots of practice with my new friends."


	7. Magic and Reversed Roles

**Hello! New chapter so fast? You betcha! This is going to be in Braxton's point of view. Cuz you know, he IS part of the story too... BTWS, let me jsut say this. There will be A LOT of changes in the story. I'm not even kidding. Ages are going to change and people will become parents in this story. JUST SAYING. I really don't care if you don't like who's who. This is MY STORY. So yeah. Reviews?**

Braxton flopped onto his bed, out of breath. He didn't think that the Battleschool would be this hard. Granted, he knew it wouldn't be a piece of cake, either. He groaned. His legs and shoulder burned from today's excercises. He felt the hunger settle in. Breakfast was basic rations, but it was still breakfast. Classes were after lunch, but before that, there were obstacle courses. If you fell down and got dirty, you had to take a cold shower, which usually resulted in missing lunch. Braxton was very fast despite his size and usually completed the runs before all his classmates. But he was clumsy, meaning he would occasionally trip. He was, by all means, the complete opposite of graceful.

"Hey Braxton!" He looked up, recognizing the voice of Tuff, one of his dormmates. Tuff was a very nice boy and made sure that everyone in the dorm was treated well. In fact, he was seen as sort of like a leader among this particular dorm.

"Tuff." He greeted. "Some day, huh?"

"Yeah!" He laughed. "Did you hear about Class 1?"

"Yup. Does that always happen?"

"The 12k punishment runs are only given out to the classes that misbehaves."

"So, always?"

"Pretty much. We'll probably be given one sometime this week. No class ever goes through the first month without their punishment run. It's sort of tradition."

Braxton sighed defeatedly. A few others began to come into the dorm. He recognized some of them, but not by name.

"You came from a Ward, right?" One of the boys asked. His tone wasn't disapproving at all. More of a curious one.

He gave a nod. "That's right. And you are?"

"Luke." He introduced himself. "And this is Trenton, Simon, and Bentor."

Braxton politely nodded to each. He wondered if Avina had made friends. He chuckled at the thought of Avina getting along with that Ranger Halt.

"Something funny?" Tuff asked.

He shook his head. "Just thinking of a friend of mine."

"Care to share?"

He hesitated, but gave in. "Her name's Avina. She's my best friend. She was in the Ward with me too, but she was younger. I was just thinking about what she was doing."

"What did she choose as her craft?"

"Ranger."

"A Ranger!" Simon exclaimed. "They're a bad lot, they are. If your friend went over to them, she ain't never coming back! They're masters in Black Magic!"

Bentor snorted. "You honestly think that they can use magic? They're just good at sneaking around and staying away from the trouble while we deal with it. At least," He added. "That's what my dad says.

Tuff shrugged. "I don't really care about the Rangers all that much. But I know for a fact that they are definitely not like your dad says. My dad says that the Rangers actually try to deal with the trouble before we go in. They use stratetgy while we, according to them, hack around with our big, clumsy swords."

"And why is your dad right and my dad wrong?" Bentor asked.

"My dad fought in the battle. The defeat of Morgarath. And he told me that it was the Ranger Halt that led the calvary to the defeat, because he knew of a secret passage."

Braxton's eyes widened. "That's the Ranger training Avina!" He felt a new respect for the grizzled Ranger. He knew that Avina was in safe hands. Even if she didn't always appreciate it.

"Woahhh. Cool." Bentor said.

"I still think they use magic." Simon put in, uncomfortably.

"You think everybody uses magic." Luke finally put in, rolling his eyes.

Tuff laughed. "I don't believe in magic."

"Well, I do." Simon said, uncomfortable.

"You believe everything is magical." Luke retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, hey, take it down a bit." Tuff warned. "Besides, we don't actually know if there's such a thing as magic. Yet."

"Still," Braxton said. "I wonder how she is..."

* * *

The days had passed quickly to Avina, for she had done nothing but indeed, practice with her new friends. Her aim with the bow had improved slightly, but not enough to really call it an improvement. Halt could see that even though she was definitely skilled, the bow was her weakest point. Now, he watched as she fired away the arrows and different targets, each hitting within the inner ring.

"Avina!" He called out. She relaxed her stance and turned to look at him. He jerked his head. "Come."

Avina draped her bow across her shoulders and followed him out of the clearing and onto the path. Avina noticed that it was carved from what looked like a collection of footprints and also, hoof prints. They walked silently, for quite a while, at least an hour, before something other than trees were sighted. They approached a couple of huts and Halt called out a greeting to someone named "Old Bob."

An old man scurried out, his beard long, white, and scraggly, the only hair on his face or head. Old Bob returned the greeting with a smile of his crooked teeth. Avina noted that even though his appearance wasn't exactly appealing, he was a very hearty and friendly man.

"This be your new 'pprentice?" He asked, eyeing Avina, an approved look in his eye.

Halt gave a sharp nod. "Probably my last. They get more difficult every time."

Old Bob laughed. "An' what be your name, young'un?"

"Avina A-Estrela, sir." She replied, nodding.

"Ah, you always get the polite ones! I rememba' tha' blondie you 'ad with you only what, a year ago?"

"Blondie?" Avina echoed.

"Are they ready?" Halt changed the subject with a light tone.

"Ready?" He glared at her. She was doing this deliberately, judging from the twitch in the corner of her mouth.

"'course!" Old Bob retreated to his little cabin, motioning for them to follow. They went around it to a fenced pen and inside were two shaggy horses. The lighter and larger trotted to Halt, obviously knowing him. Halt whispered a few words in his ear and rubbed his neck. Eyeing one of the many apples that were in a bin, he decided to take one and let the horse munch on it.

"This is Kashmar." Old Bob also gave an apple to the smaller horse. It was black with a white star and small strip running down its head. "'e won't blend in well, but 'e's fast. 'e'll be ou' of trouble 'fore you can even blink."

Avina held out a hand to the dark horse. He looked very unimpressive, but he had strong legs, legs that Avina knew could keep a fast tempo at long distances. Kashmar briefly sniffed her outstretched hand and snorted.

"Let's see 'ow you 'andle 'im, eh?" Old Bob opened the gate and Avina stepped inside. Immediately, the horse shot away from her like an arrow. Avina leaned against the fence and crossed her arms. She looked at Halt's horse. The horse went to Halt because they knew each other. And she also saw the way the horse's ears pricked up in delight when Halt had given it in apple. She looked back at Kashmar, who was grazing under some shade. Avina picked an apple and rubbed it against her shirt. The black horse looked at her curiously as she took a bite. The horse trotted over, obviously wanting a bite as well from the lusciously red apple. As soon as Kashmar came within a few feet of her, she swiftly ran from her position and danced a few meters away to a different spot, all while taking another bite.

Avina chewed loudly and licked her lips, her hand beckoning for the horse to approach. But as soon as Kashmar put a hoof in front of him, Avina jumped onto the fence and crouched on it, waiting. The horse paused and tipped his head. He was supposed to be playing with the girl, not the other way around. She took another bite, mocking the horse. His movements a blur to Avina, he rocketed forward, but she was ready. She jumped over the horse and landed softly onto the ground behind him. She was now eating the apple very quickly, all the while darting about in the small paddock with Kashmar following her movements. When she finished the apple, she returned to her original position, selecting another apple and discarding the core of the eaten on. She held it out the new apple and Kashmar hesitated. He slowly made his way until he was right in front of her. Avina took one huge bite and chewed. She put her hand back out.

"Truce?" The horse whinnied and tossed his head once. And she gave him the apple. Old Bob cackled and looked at Halt.

"This 'ne's impressive! Real smart! Neva' seen somethin' like 'at!"

Halt had watched the performance with surprise, not expecting his apprentice to lead the horse on and force him to submit to her. However, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of telling her that he was definitely impressed. No use swelling up her head anymore than it already was.

"Took you long enough, didn't it?" He grunted.

"You're too 'arsh on the young'un! 'andled 'im more skillfully than most 'em Rangers out there!"

Avina looked at her teacher, her eyes showing no emotion. Her hand was clutching the bridle and Kashmar butted his head against her shoulder, asking for more. He noted that she winced at the contact, but didn't pull away. He would have to ask about that later.

"Don't feed him too many apples. He'll get fat. We'll stay with you tonight, Old Bob, if there's no trouble?" Halt asked. Kashmar tossed his head violently, disagreeing with Halt's opinion.

"You're always welcome 'ere!"

Then Halt addressed Avina. "Old Bob will show you how to tack and groom Kashmar."

She nodded and didn't say anything. She turned back to the horse and gazed directly into its strange blue eyes.

"Why does he have blue eyes?" Avina asked, not looking away.

"Don' know. Born with it. 'ere's somethin' mighty special 'bout that one. Fits you perfectly, eh?" He laughed. Avina didn't reply, but scratched the star Kashmar's forehead. The horse seemed to be intrigued by this young girl that had managed to outfox him. But there was a knowing glint in his eyes that Avina could see. Tomorrow was going to be a surprise.


	8. Dreams Of The Free

**Hello! I'm so glad that I'm updating regularly! Though I do wish for some more reviews... How do you like Avina's personality? She's a real secretive dame, isn't she? Yeah, well, that's all part of the plot. How did you like Avina's fancy feet with Kashmar? BTWS, Kashmar is Russian for 'nightmare'. I'm Russian, so it only stands to reason. But Avina isn't. She's like Gaelic/Welsh. At least her name is. I don't know yet what ethnicity I'm going to put her as. Is that what they call it in Ranger's Apprentice? Oh well. Whatever.**

Avina tightened the girth straps on the saddle. She had just finished saddling Kashmar and she had also groomed him this morning. His coat was shiny from the effort of brushing his shaggy body and he seemed pleased that Avina had taken the time to 'beautify' him.

"Try an' ride 'im!" Old Bob encouraged, a mischievous tone in his voice. Avina said nothing but looked at Kashmar. He waited for her and looked at her invitingly. She thought this was suspicious. She looked at Halt, but his eyes showed nothing. Which was also unusual, for when she was learning something new, he would have a certain glaze in his eyes.

"There's a catch." She stated.

"Real smart! Didn't think sh'd find out!"

Halt nodded with a approval. She would definitely make a fine Ranger some day. "If you were to get on Kashmar, or any Ranger horse, you would immediately be thrown off."

She waited for the answer.

"Because you don't know their pass code. What is it for this one, Old Bob?"

"Eh... I think 's dream eater." Old Bob feigned confusion. Avina looked back to the horse.

"How does a horse trainer find out his password?" This time Old Bob was genuinely confused.

"What?"

"Well, it's not like the horse just speaks to you and tells you his code. How did you find out?"

He cackled. "Secret, young'un! Secret!" Avina changed the subject.

"And I just say it to him?" She asked flatly.

"Yes. Then you'll be able to ride him without ever saying it again."

"Why is there a pass code?" She wondered.

"So that the horse isn't stolen."

Avina furrowed her eyebrows. "But I would think that Ranger horses are too smart to get stolen. And besides, if the code was found out by a random stranger and he said it to Kashmar, Kashmar wouldn't care that he doesn't know this stranger? Isn't that a bit stupid?"

"Oh, just say it and get the hell on him!" Halt yelled, exasperated. Avina rolled her eyes, but whispered the words into the dark horse's ear. Kashmar pricked his ears and tossed his head as if he were nodding. She pulled herself into the saddle and gently nudged the little horse with her heels. Kashmar began to walk around the paddock and Avina coaxed him into a pleasant trot. She stopped the horse in front of the gate after completing one lap around the paddock. Halt opened the gate and Avina needed no encouragement. She urged the horse into a gallop and was pleased to find that she had been right about the horse's speed. Kashmar, free of any obstacles, raced into the clearing . Avina raised herself and leaned forward, offering an even greater speed. He complied and she felt the wind rush through her ears.

She directed the horse back to the two figures that were just barely visible. When she eased the horse to a stop, Avina rubbed his mane and whispered words of affection to him. She looked at Halt and nodded.

"You did well with this one." Halt commented to Old Bob. The old man nodded.

"Best I've trained, this 'un is." He looked at the horse in pride. "You're is 'e best I seen, too!"

"She did alright."

"A'right? Rode 'im like a pro! A real fit 'n the saddle, that young'un is!" Halt's horse approached him and he swung himself into the saddle.

"We'll be leaving now. Thank you for the stay." Halt tipped his head in a nod of thanks.

"No problem!" To Avina, he said, "Take 'are of 'im!"

She nodded her agreement and let Kashmar follow Halt's horse. After a couple of minutes and when the hut was out of sight, Avina asked, "What's your horse's name?

"Abelard. It's-"

"Gallic." She interrupted. She felt his gaze on her and she looked at him.

"And how do you know that?"

She shrugged. "My last name's Gallic."

"A-Estrela?" He nodded thoughtfully. "Do you know what it means?"

"No." She said it so abruptly that Halt knew she was ending the conversation. But he wasn't going to.

"I'm sure that Abelard knows what it means. After all, he speaks Gallic" Abelard tossed his head in agreement. Avina's eyebrow shot up. A regular habit of hers.

"Speaks Gallic?" She questioned. "Is his pass code Gallic?"

He nodded. The horse did the same. "Abelard's pass code is _permettez moi._"

"Will you allow me." She stated.

"Just in case something ever happens."

She fell silent, content with the information given. Her eyes turned back in front of her, onto the path. She sensed the movement before she actually saw it, but touched her toes into Kashmar's sides. He galloped after Abelard and his Ranger with amazing speed. Avina gave a smile at the rush and Kashmar went faster until he caught up with the pair. Halt glanced at his apprentice and she gave a smug grin at him. Halt guessed that that was going to be the closest thing he would see to a real smile in a very long time.


	9. Former And Current

**I'm back! As I am almost every day! It'd be great if ya'll messaged me for ideas. I'm quickly running out... I already have a great idea for a new character but I don't really want to rush it... You know what I'm saying? So anyways, I'm going to take a little poll. Would you rather that Avina be kidnapped for a day and be forced not to tell Halt while this person comes back to beat her and train her to be evil, or would you rather that Avina be kidnapped for a day and kill her kidnapper, thus making Avina an even more grimmer character and hate Halt because before he died, the kidnapper gave her a drug that makes her go crazy and run away? Personally, I like the first idea better... A lot more action... But it's your choice! On with the story!**

Halt watched his apprentice's critical eyes scan the map that he had given her to analyze. She had proven herself very logical and did well in learning the geography of Araluen. She knew much history of the surrounding countries, much to Halt's surprise, but almost none of Araluen. Which added to his theory that most of Avina's life had been spent in another country. Halt was definitely going to have to ask her about her past and actually get an answer out of her. He just wasn't sure when to actually confront her.

Suddenly, Avina tipped her head and her eyes shot to the door. Halt did the same, trying to catch what it was that she had heard. Her eyes narrowed for a moment and her head turned to look. Then, Halt heard Abelard nicker softly. He relaxed and motioned for her to as well. Avina sat down and sipped her coffee, thought still a bit suspicious. She watched as Halt quietly stepped to stand in front of the door. It suddenly swung in and a surprised voice was heard. A familiar voice.

"Halt! How come I can never manage to surprise you?"

"If you must know, my apprentice first heard you. Then, I was sure when I heard Abelard and Blaze." Came his gruff reply. The mystery figure came in and Avina nearly dropped her mug. Instead, her jaw dropped.

"Gilan?"

"Avina!" Gilan looked equally stunned. "You didn't tell me that you were Halt's apprentice!" Her eyes traveled across him. His blond hair had a leaf in it, probably from riding hard. He was wearing simple brown leggings and a black shirt. Under his cloak, he had what looked like a leather long sleeved coat that went to his knees and that was restrained by a belt. She felt herself admiring his appearance.

"I didn't feel it necessary to tell a stranger about my personal life." She said with a dry voice.

He looked hurt. "But I wasn't a stranger! I told you my name and you told me yours. Technically, we knew each other." She rolled her eyes.

Halt's eyebrow rose. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah. She didn't tell you? I took her to the healer after-"

Avina interrupted with a cough. "Um, Gilan?"

"Yes?"

"You should probably shut up right now." The threat was unmistakeably real in her eyes. Gilan took a step back jokingly.

"Alright, alright, don't kill me now." He put on a cheerful face. "But it's good to see you."

She let the evil look slide off and replace it with a slight smile. "Yeah... you too."

"Gilan." That single word managed to get his attention.

"Oh, Halt! Sorry, forgot about you there." He pulled out a letter from inside his shirt. "From Crowley. I haven't read it yet." Halt sat down and motioned for Gilan to do the same. He sat next to Avina, much to her pleasure. They watched as he opened the letter and read the contents. He put it down.

"Apparently, there's trouble. Crowley wants me to come to the gathering early. There might not even be a gathering. He's probably notified the other senior rangers as well." His face was thoughtful and he leaned back in his chair.

"Does it say what kind of trouble?" Gilan asked.

He gave Gilan a dry look. "Don't you think I would've said that first?"

He flushed. "Sorry, Halt, I-"

"Didn't think, as usual." He finished. Gilan gave a glare. Avina gave Gilan a slightly questioning look.

"Halt was my teacher for my apprenticeship." He said looking cheerful. She said nothing and gave a blank stare.

"What?"

"You are way too cheerful for your own good." And with that she gulped down the rest of her coffee, took her bow, and went outside.

Gilan looked surprised and watched as she closed the door. "Is she always like that?"

"Usually, she doesn't talk." Halt didn't think that he could get any more surprised.

"_Really?"_

He nodded brusquely. "Tell me how you two met."

He hesitated. Avina clearly stated that she didn't want Halt to know about the accident.

"She _is_ my apprentice. I have a right to know. Does it have something to do with her shoulder injury?"

"She told you about it?"

"I saw it bother her."

He fell silent and still hesitated for a moment. "I was in Redmont. Business for Sir Rodney. I decided to take a shortcut through the woods. And I heard a wild boar." He lifted his eyes to Halt. He remained stoic. "At first, I thought about leaving it. And letting Sir Rodney and the Baron have some fun. You know how they enjoy a boar hunt. But I heard something else. It was like somebody in the trees. That's when I saw Avina. The boar rammed the tree and she fell. So I put an arrow through it. She hit her shoulder pretty bad and I took her to the healer."

Halt nodded, pleased at his former apprentice. "I offered to talk to her parents, but she wouldn't let me. So I left after that."

"You offered to.. talk to her parents."

"Yeah." He looked confused. "Was I not supposed to?"

"No. Don't worry about it."

Gilan still looked a bit confused and slightly alarmed, but didn't push it."So how's she coming along?"

"Better than you."

He snorted. "Are you serious?"

"Look." Gilan stood up and looked out the window and his jaw dropped. "How long has she been your apprentice?"

He shrugged. "Give or take three weeks." He looked back to the window.

"How?..."

"She already knew how to."


	10. The Eluded Prey

**Hello, my wonderful fans and readers :) First off, HAPPY NEW YEARS! Yes, I am the person that says 'New Years' instead of 'New Year', whatever! Second, this is for RA. If you've noticed lately, my plot line has been that of Jonathan's first book, The Ruins Of Gorlan. I am planning to use almost all of the events that he presented in the book, and then I will take complete control. Meaning, yes, the Kalkara will happen. I also plan to put in romance for this. Gilan will be involved, and yes, Braxton will be as well, simply because I love his character very much. Third, an idea has been sprung from a fan's mind (cough, cough, Mz. Padfoot14) and will definitely be used in the story. No, I am not going to tell you what it is. You'll have to find out. Keep reading! And last, please, I would appreciate a little more reviews from you guys! Reviews make authors happy, and happy authors update faster (which I already do of course, but it's nice to have the self-esteem). Enjoy the chapter! Oh, and those of you who want to know, Gilan is 19. **

Halt watched his former and current apprentices fool around outside. Gilan had originally been giving tips to Avina about her shooting, but that was quickly shot down. Gilan laughed at something (probably his own joke) and Avina even let out a smile at him. Halt was somewhat curious (if he could even admit to say that) at why his apprentice was so carefree around Gilan, and not around other people. This was definitely the most he had ever seen the girl talk. He tried to tell himself to ignore her attitude, but somehow he knew that this rebellion was for a reason that was eventually going to catch up to her. He could tell that whatever she was hiding, it was crucial. Avina moved until she was right in front of Gilan and they stared at each other, getting closer. Especially Gilan. Avina picked the leaf out of his hair and flicked it away, smirking and most likely making some smart remark that Halt had heard all too much. The blond-haired Ranger gave a scoff in return. And that was the crux of the matter. Was she faking? Was this whole entire thing just a facade? He exhaled wearily. This was definitely his toughest and most mysterious apprentice. Even after Rune... Even after Rune.

"You are so gullible."

"You're the one who got all close to me!"

"And how else was I supposed to get that ridiculous leaf out of your hair?"

"You could've told me, first of all."

"Yes, I could've."

"You're impossible."

"And you're gullible."

"You already said that."

"It's so important, that I need to say it twice."

"I hate you."

"Doesn't everybody?"

He gave a small chuckle and tucked a stray strand of her wurvy (wavy and curly) hair behind her ear. "I'm only kidding you."

"As am I. Why don't you just accept it?" She gave him a bright smile. He didn't answer for a few moments, but just gazed at her with a foolish grin.

"So how did they react?"

Cue eyebrow raise. "Who?"

"Your parents. Who else, of course?"

She looked away distractedly. "Oh, that."

He looked at her, concern written on his face, and he took a hold of her chin. He resisted an urge to take her hand as he realized how soft her skin was. "What's wrong?"

She bit her lip. "I lied to you."

"About what?"

"My family. I don't have one." She replied bluntly.

He looked slightly relieved, but disappointed at the same time. "Why?"

She shrugged offhandedly. "I don't know." She didn't meet his gaze. "I just didn't want it to be awkward or have you pity me, or hate me." She mumbled. When he didn't reply, she looked up.

"Why would I hate you?"

"A lot of people see us differently. Like we're... scum of the earth or something." She was pulled away in a memory of her own.

_"Why are you crying? Get up!"_

_"Yeah! Shut up and stop acting like a baby! If you wanna cry, go run to mommy!"_

_"Did you forget? She doesn't have a mommy! She doesn't have any family!"_

_"Run, run away from here! This isn't a place for nobodies."_

_"That's all you are and all you can ever be. A nobody with no name!"_

_"My name is Avina. Avina A-Estrela."_

"Avina." She was pulled out of her thoughts to see Gilan's sincere face. "I could never hate you."

* * *

He watched as the Ranger and the young girl conversed. The Ranger hadn't seen him because he was just as good as him. He knew how to move like them. Currently, he was positioned in a well-covered tree, a bit far from the two. He watched them idly. Gilan, he believed the blond was called. He had heard the name around these parts, as the young man with the best unseen movement in the Ranger Corps. He was slightly upset that Avina was talking to him and he could see the obvious closeness between the two. He could feel the anger burn in his belly and he wanted nothing more than to strike the young man dead. But he knew that his chances of killing the man from this distance was quite impossible, seeing as he had left his bow at the inn. Also, he knew that a Ranger named Halt was abiding in the cabin, and this man's reputation was quite well know in his area. And last, he knew that Avina would definitely not let him get away. The whole thing would cost him his life and there was no way he was going to let that happen just yet. Yes, this Gilan's time would come of course. But first and foremost, he had business to attend to. And Avina was most certainty going to see the end of it.

* * *

"Gilan?"

"Yes?"

"Is that a sword?"

His eyes brightened. "Yes, in fact, it is. Do you know swordplay?"

"Somewhat. I'm a bit familiar with it." She shrugged. "Are you any good?"

"I'd like to think so."

"Who was your master?"

"MacNeil. You've heard of him?"

"Who hasn't?" Her face remained the same, but she was impressed. And although Gilan wouldn't admit it, he was one of the best swordsman in Araluen. Her face turned slightly wistful. "Had I stayed in Hibernia, I would've liked to learn of it."

His face was etched with complete surprise. "Hibernia? You're from Hibernia? You don't sound anything like Halt." He had previously heard Avina's accent when she had gotten laid-back, and he knew that it wasn't a Hibernian accent.

She looked as equally surprised as he did. "Halt's from Hibernia?"

He nodded. "From Clonmel."

"Clonmel... Has he been there recently? Like in the past... five years?" Gilan was already shaken his head.

"He hasn't been to Hibernia in quite a while. I don't think he ever went back since he came here. He might've. I'm sure that he hasn't, though."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment.

"You haven't answered my question."

"Huh? Oh. No, I'm not from Hibernia. I've just... been around."

"Where are you from?"

"I don't know. My parents took me away when I was young. We were kinda like nomads, for the wrong reason. I remember waking up in Hibernia, and they were dead. Slashed by a single sword, by the look of it."

"Nomads for the wrong reason?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "I don't remember much from before we left. But I remember one thing the most. We were being hunted. By who, I haven't the slightest idea." She added when she saw the question forming on his lips.

"How did you get here?"

"The usual way. I smuggled myself onto a Skandian Raider. Then they dotted the Araluen coast and I slipped off without their knowing."

He was silent for a few moments. "You've been around." He stated.

She gave a bitter scoff. "Yeah."


	11. Time Won't Let Me Go

**I am so sorry that I haven't updated! I have been so busy with school and trying to audition to get into a top school of the arts and filling out all this paperwork, getting all my homework done, writing these papers, etc... So here's a brand chapter for all you peoples. Thanks so much (I'm using the word 'so' a lot) for all the reviews, they're a lot more helpful than you all think. I thank those who find fault with my stories and criticize my work. Lord knows I need it. So yeah. Reviews please!**

**Typo: I just made it that way. I mean, his accent is pretty obvious and I'm sure that he at least told Gilan what kingdom he hailed from. Either that, or Crowley told him.**

**Raider1472: I read the first few chapters and the last one. I didn't have a lot of time, sorry. It has a good plot line and it's interesting. But there are some grammar mistakes and a lot of sentences could be worded differently so that you don't use 'he' and 'she' as much. Other than that, it's great!**

"Gilan's left?" Halt looked up to see his apprentice stumbling in tiredly. It was nearly dark and he had sent her to work on her bow and complete the other tasks he had set for her. He gave a slight nod in confirmation. She nodded in return.

"Make some food and then you can go to bed."

Avina knew what this meant, really. Wash yourself in under ten minutes, make some dinner, wax your bow, and sharpen your knives. Then, you can go to sleep. She began to proceed to her room, walking slowly. She opened her door, and then stopped. Halt sipped his coffee absentmindedly, still thinking about the letter.

"Halt?" Avina's hesitant voice brought him out of his thoughts. He looked over to her. She still gripped her doorknob and was frozen in place, her face peering into her dark room.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're being watched?" She looked over her shoulder.

"Of course." He replied. "We're trained to notice what others don't. Why?"

She leant against the doorframe and crossed her arms, gazing at the wall. "When I was with Gilan," She finally spoke. "I thought someone was watching us. And when I turned to the trees... I could've sworn I saw a man. Sitting in the branches, watching us. I dismissed it, but a few seconds later, I saw the branches move and he was gone." Halt could feel himself stiffen in alarm. She turned her eyes to him. "There was somebody there. I'm sure of it."

"Could you see anything of him?" She shook her head.

"It was just the figure, a shadow. I couldn't really discern any features."

"Could you feel him today?" Hesitantly, she shook her head again.

"No." Her voice was quiet. It was obvious that she was afraid that he either wouldn't believe her, or she would even begin to doubt herself. Halt tapped the tabletop repeatedly while thinking about the situation. He had no doubt that his apprentice had seen an onlooker in the forest. If he decided to go looking for their guest with her, it would waste time and be a wild goose chase. They had no evidence as to where he was staying, what he looked like, where he was from, etc. If he told her to be wary of of her surroundings, paranoia would set in and her training could possibly deteriorate. But what else could he do? He would keep a closer eye on her and on any suspicious persons. But he wasn't going to admit that he couldn't do that.

"Keep a look out. Be more wary. I'll scout our area but I doubt I'll find anything. You see anything, come to me."

She nodded, understanding the lack of choices they had. "Thanks." And with that, she swiftly glided into her room and shut the door without a sound. He sighed. This was a very complicated situation and it was a delicate one as well. He would definitely keep a close eye on her.

* * *

"It's been a long month..." Avina said to no one. She was leaning against the tree, taking a break from constantly releasing volleys of arrows. It had indeed been a long month. A past few months, in fact. Yes, it had been six months since she had been first apprenticed to Halt. And he had been receiving more letters every day, more urgent news from Crowley. Avina suspected it had something to do with Morgarath. Unfortunately, the mysterious visitor that Avina had seen had not made another appearance. Halt had even scouted the area several times and found nothing suggesting that he had been near them. It had been a relief and yet a puzzle to the two. There was really no plausible theory whatsoever as to what exactly the man had been doing.

Avina's breath returned to her as she calmed down for a couple of minutes. Her lungs burned from quickly inhaling the cold, September air. Turning her head over her shoulder, she watched as Kashmar grazed nearby behind her, unconcerned as to what his master was doing. All of a sudden, his ears twitched and he became alert. Avina had sensed it as well. Someone was intruding onto their area. Her gaze swept around the trees, looking both at the ground and amongst the shadowed branches. She clutched her bow a little bit tighter instinctively. A feeling told her that this was someone not to be trifled with. It was possible that it was the man six months ago. But why had he waited so long to come back? What had he been doing for the time?

Kashmar tossed his head in the direction of the soft rustling that was unnoticed even to Avina's ears. Avina pulled her mottled cloak closer to her body to keep herself a little bit warmer and to hid her already small frame. She quickly used the silent technique that Halt had taught her to make her way over to Kashmar. To any other passerby, it would've looked like a master soothing her jumpy horse. She was, in fact, giving the intelligent horse instructions. He flared his nostrils. Obviously, he sensed the danger as well as his master.

* * *

The man immediately froze. One minute, the girl was twenty meters away from the shaggy animal and the next, she was right by its side. He had heard of the uncanny and silent way that Rangers moved, but this was the first time he had actually seen it. After all, he had never encountered a Ranger and didn't plan to. It would be extremely difficult to get her away from the older Ranger that he had seen previously when the blonde Ranger was there. He tightened his grip on the small throwing knife that he was carrying as he thought of the man.

Squinting his eyes, he could see the girl sooth the animal with her words. He could now see that the shaggy beast was in fact a horse. Sneeringly, he gave a snort. It was doubtful in his mind that that horse was of any use. It was so small and puny. Suddenly, he heard it. A strangled _woosh_. The sound of an arrow releasing at unimaginable speed.

Instinctively, he jerked his body to the left to avoid the fatal, black-shafted arrow and the small dagger that he had been clutching flew out of his hands. His eyes widened as blood ran down his cheek. The man was no fool and wasted no time sprinting in the other direction, moving in weaves to make it harder to shoot him. He was lucky.

* * *

"Halt!" Avina called, surprised. She had not heard nor seen the gruff Ranger sneak up on them. He nodded his greeting to her and strode over to the area where the intruder had hid. She followed him, her pace brisk to catch up with him. He pulled his arrow out of the tree and inspected the tip for a moment. Satisfied, he returned the arrow to his quiver and turned his gaze to the ground. The man had been a silent mover like them, but not as experienced. Any Ranger would've been able to track the original steps. But the ground was marred from the man escaping. He made no attempt to hide his prints. His objective was to get away. Halt kneeled and examined the foot print with his fingers, tracing it. Noticing a gleam nearby, Avina walked over and inspected a blackberry bush. She opened it, ignoring the thorns, and found the source of the reflecting light. She returned to Halt with the dagger in hand.

"A younger man. Somewhere possibly in his late twenties to his mid thirties. Well built. And trained. He dodged my arrow." He took the dagger from her and inspected it.

"Are we going after him?" Avina asked him after surveying the grove just as he did.

"Yes." He replied quickly. "This might be our chance."

"The horses or on foot?"

"We'll track him better on foot. Besides, we'd never get the horses through this." He was right. The man had chosen his hiding place well. He had escaped through an alcove of brambles and thorns, and the wood thickened farther in. Halt took off after the the intruder and she followed him. How could a man possibly dodge an arrow with the speed that he had? She had not seen it, but she heard the disappointing thud of arrow striking wood. What kind of training could someone receive to accomplish that? Was he an assassin? _No,_ she thought. _An assassin would never wait six months to kill his target. And why am I his target? I thought I took care of that last dilemma..._ They ran until they hit a road. More prints.

"He took off on horse." She said sullenly. They had been so close! Halt shrugged, but she knew that he was as disappointed as he was.

* * *

Avina sat on the floor next to the hot and flickering fire. The night had quickly gotten colder and she contentedly drained her coffee mug. Now, she was holding the still warm cup in between her hands, and pulled the thick blanket closer around her. She nuzzled her face into the fabric and closed her eyes, thinking of the day's previous events. She had been so crestfallen from their failed attempt to catch the intruder, and it didn't help that she still had to clean the little cabin. She was completely exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He was going to come back. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that something terrible was going to happen. Fear had not yet sit in, but she could feel it creeping into her. She was going to have to watch her back at all times, even more that she had already been doing. It especially didn't help that she was certain of their intruder's identity.

Shivering, she buried herself even more in the blanket as a memory came back to her. The man's face appeared in her head and she clenched her palm until it bled. _Rafael._


	12. The Saints Are Coming

**I'm back! As an apology for being so late, here's another chapter! Sorry it's short... Anyways, did you like my little surprise? Well there's another at the end, haha! Reviews please and thanks for everyone that did! The many reviews inspired me to write this chapter quickly!**

**Frogata: Thanks a lot, and here's the new chapter!**

**Ranger Anastasia: The plot has definitely thickened some more in this chapter! Read on!**

**Neela SilverDust: Well guess what? You'll never believed what has just happened. Because another surprise is awaiting you muwhahahahahahha! Yeah, fail...**

**Typo: Yuppers! Looks like this Rafael character doesn't really like Avina, now does he?**

**Hope and Love: Your prayers have been answered! Here's the update!**

**M-marije-e: Updated!**

**Enjoy with reviews please! By the way, the next chapters are going to be named by song titles! If you can figure out which song it is, I'll write a chapter the next day and let you read that next chapter before it comes out! The last chapter doesn't count!**

Halt lay on top of his bed, his arms behind his head. The room was completely dark and the forest was silent except for the occasional hoot of an owl. _He opened the letter that he had just received. After reading it, he frowned. The sentry guards had seen no one of any suspicion entering Redmont. So this man that was stalking them was either able to sneak into the castle, or really was staying outside somewhere in the woods. Whichever, he was adequate at going unnoticed for long periods of time. _Quite obviously, he's trained. _He thought._ But for what? _His eyes drifted to the foreign dagger sitting on the table. It was definitely not a normal dagger. It was a throwing knife, like theirs, but different. The hilt and the dagger were both heavier than Ranger knives. The man probably had them custom made for his strength. The hilt was made of a material that he had never seen before. It was a dark silver that slightly sparkled when moved, and it was soft to the touch. Intricate patterns were carved into the mysterious metal. And at the butt of the hilt was a seal. Perhaps it wasn't a seal, but just a signature. Meaning he wanted to be known._

_He glanced to his apprentice, who was sitting by the fire, staring into it as if it showed her countless pictures. She closed her eyes, no doubt thinking about the disappointment they had. She muttered a single word, so soft that Halt was almost not able to pick it up. But he did. _

Rafael. Not an Araluen name. Not Hibernian. Not Celtic. Yet, the name felt familiar. Not the name itself, but the style of it. He exhaled deeply. Avina knew who the man was. That much was certain. She said she hadn't seen him, so the dagger must have been a familiar sight to her. They were obviously not friends. She had said his name with hatred, and her face was contorted with rage and pain. He remembered how abruptly she stood up and stormed into her room. Which wasn't very loud. This was getting even more serious. If she had known who this Rafael was, then he was probably after her. And common sense told him what the dagger in his hand was for. He was going to kill her.

* * *

Avina awoke just as the sky was lightening, an hour earlier than she was supposed to. Sleepily, she swung her legs over the bed and made her way over to the window. It was still very dark, but a midnight blue with deep purple. She rubbed her tired face with her hands. That had been the second nightmare that she had woken up to. She thought that she was rid of Rafael. Certain that he wouldn't come looking for her, and if he did, there was no way in hell or Heaven that he could find out where. But he did. She moaned in desperation, betraying the fear that was rising. If this was Rafael, and she knew it was, he would stop at nothing to get her. Even if it meant getting killed.

When Avina first encountered him, he wasn't as good at silent movement as he currently was. And he was going to take chances with the dagger, meaning he thought he had some skill with it. He probably did. What had changed? How? She shivered for a brief moment. He was not trying to kill her. At least, not yet. He was going to torture her. For something that she was not to be blamed for.

* * *

Braxton awoke in a cold sweat. A churning feeling had entered his stomach and throat, and he rushed to the bathroom and retched. When he was done, he washed out his mouth tiredly. He felt _horrible._ But not in s sickly way. In a way as if he knew that something bad was going to happen. A premonition. He stared at the running water. Immediately, his thoughts rushed to Avina. He had this feeling once. A long time ago, when they were both still in their junior years. When Avina had first come to Redmont. She had fallen out of the tree, and he was playing with his toy soldier in his room. He tried to ignore the feeling, but after a couple of minutes. He couldn't. As he approached the window, he heard the sound of pain, and then finally saw her. And the blood.

He shivered at the memory. Avina had broken her arm and dislocated her shoulder from that fall. He had thought that it was just a lucky feeling, but he had become more wary of his friend after that. His stare came back into focus and he quickly turned off the water, realizing that he had left it on. When he opened the door, he realized that Tuff was leaning against the wall.

"You okay?" He asked quietly. Braxton glanced at his still sleeping room mates. He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head no.

"I have to see the Battlemaster."

"For being sick?" His voice was confused. Again, he shook his head.

"Something else. It's important." The feeling grew stronger. He winced.

"Well he's not here. He'll be here later in the morning."

"That's too long." He whispered and then rushed to get dressed.

"What are you doing?" Tuff whispered furiously. Braxton didn't answer but finished by putting on his boots in record time. He opened the door and ran out, realizing that Tuff was following him. He ran as fast and as silently as he could. After a few minutes, he reached the stables. As he was saddling it, Tuff appeared out of breath. He looked on in astonishment.

"Are you crazy? You're going to steal a battlehorse?" He exclaimed, no longer keeping his voice quiet.

"I'll bring it back." Came the gruff answer, and he glanced at the nameplate in the stall. _Lightening. Not exactly an original name._ He thought and lifted himself into the saddle. Tuff sighed for a moment before opening the stall's door. Braxton looked surprised for a moment and nodded his thanks. He nodded back in return.

"Just bring him, back will you?" He asked sardonically. Braxton kicked Lightening's sides and he raced out of the stall, the field, and onto a road. He briefly remembered overhearing a conversation that the Battlemaster had with another man and learned the the Ranger Halt's cabin was on the west side of Redmont. He urged Lightening to go faster and the horse snorted, but complied. After what seemed like a lifetime, he finally caught a cabin in sight. He stopped the horse next to two other small horses and swung off Lightening. As quickly as he could, he tied the horse to a post, and the darker and smaller horse snorted. He ran to the cabin and stormed up the steps and was about to furiously bang on the door, when it suddenly opened. A man with black and grey peppered hair stood. Braxton was slightly taller that him, by maybe two inches. The man quirked an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" He asked cynically.

The surprise melted off his tongue. "Are you the Ranger Halt?" He demanded.

"I live here, don't I?" Braxton ignored the smart reply.

"Where's Avina?"

Halt's eyes briefly flashed with something. Braxton was surprised at how fast the little man had run to the room on the right. He swung open the door and then rushed back to the door, grabbing his bow and quiver as he went. He slung the quiver over his back and held the bow tightly in his right hand. Braxton ran after him, fearing the worst. A million thoughts were racing through his head. Why couldn't he get here sooner? Who was responsible for this? How did this happen right under the Ranger's nose? He felt a surge of anger for a moment at the lithe figure that he was following. As quickly as it had come, it extinguished. It wasn't his fault. It was his _own. _He resisted an urge to scream as they approached a river and he saw the blood. Halt kneeled next to a snapped bow and gently touched it as if he were afraid of breaking it even more. The saxe knife was still in its sheath, but there were bits of leather on the hook, as if it had been ripped off of a belt. His eyes travelled to the throwing knife that was embedded in a nearby tree.

"No." Braxton whispered hoarsely. Avina had been captured. And her assailant had left a message carved in a tree.

_Genesis has been restored._


	13. One Step Closer

**ARGHHHHHH! GUYS? Why didn't you play my game? Don't ask me what game! Well, I guess here's another chapter... Promise me to play my game?... Alright, I'll explain again. It's the SONG TITLE CHAPTER GAME! You gotta guess the song that has been used as my chapter title! Last chapter doesn't count anymore, but I'll tell you. It was "The Saints Are Coming" by Green Day and chapter 11 was "Time Won't Let Me Go" by The Bravery. I love Green Day and My Chemical Romance... Hint hint? Reviews please! By the way, check out my website! w w w . w i x . c o m/mysilver_roses/yona **

**And sorry this took so long! I had lots of homework and writer's block... BTWS My stories are gonna go on the web too, if someone wants me to!**

Braxton paced back and forth agitatedly. It was the end of the day and he was in the Battlemaster's office. His forehead was gleaming with sweat from both the training exercise and his nervousness. A click was heard from the door being opened. Braxton spun on his heel so fast and hard that he almost lost his balance. He quickly gained his composure as he saw Battlemaster Rodney. His face showed no surprise at the sight of the tired apprentice.

"Well?" Braxton demanded. "Any news?" Rodney eyes narrowed and his lips tightened. He slowly shook his head. Braxton let out an angry huff and grabbed his hair.

"It's only been a week." He said gently.

"A week and she could be dead!" He spat in return. The weary Battlemaster said nothing. There was nothing he could say to help him. The boy abruptly stopped pacing and fell to his knees. His hands shrouded his face and his hair.

"I can't lose her." His voice came out as a hoarse rasp. "She's my best friend." Rodney truly felt the boy's pain. He had friends that had died. Well, Avina wasn't dead. Hopefully.

"You _won't_ lose her." Another voice joined in. Strangely, it was sympathetic. Rodney turned to the side to see his long time friend, Halt. Halt gave him a can-we-talk-in-private look. Rodney nodded sternly and was about to leave, but Braxton noticed.

"Please," He said frimly and raised his pain-filled eyes. Rodney was surprised by the strength in his words. "I'm her best friend... I was there for her when she sat alone in the corner of her room crying because she missed her home and her murdered family..." He choked on his words for a moment and a tear spilled from his glistening eyes. Halt stiffened for a moment. "I was there," He swallowed. "For her. When she broke her arm... and when she got beat up by that third-year apprentice." His eyes were suddenly angry and Rodney's widened in alarm. It better not had been one of his own apprentices.

"I deserve to know. _Anything_ at all, no matter how trivial. Please." He repeated. The room was quiet for what seemed like ages. Then, Rodney nodded.

"Ok." Halt replied simply. "We've been trying to find leads on Genesis. We've found out that a man, not an Araluen, has been staying at a small inn. The accent wasn't recognized. I was told that our language was probably his second. The only unusual thing is that he bought a lot of food and there's been more stolen." His face became even more grimmer.

"Meaning that there is more than one?" Braxton asked. He nodded

"Meaning Genesis is some sort of cult or group. And if they're saying that 'Genesis is restored'..."

"She was part of it." Rodney finished.

"Part of it?" Braxton echoed. He got to his feet. "So you're saying she's a part of some part crazy group that's now trying to kill her?"

"Nobody is saying that." Rodney protested quickly.

"Actually, they have." Halt said dryly. Rodney and Braxton froze.

"What?" Braxton growled, his voice seething with anger.

"Halt?" Rodney questioned, his voice unsure.

"She was being threatened." He said quietly. With amazing speed, Braxton flung himself toward the Ranger. Rodney responded with his reflexes, holding the struggling apprentice back.

"And you didn't do anything about it?" He yelled, his handsome face becoming red.

Halt looked on, not even blinking an eye to his attempted assault. His eyes were steeled but it was obvious that he was just as irritated as the young man.

"We found out the night before she was taken." He replied evenly. Braxton suddenly went limp in the Battlemaster's arms and tried to pull away, but he held on to his apprentice, tightening his grip. Halt watched as Rodney quieted his cries. He felt a stab of guilt for a moment, but let nothing pass onto his stoic features. He should've known. That encounter would've scared her to death, especially since he was sure that she knew him. She probably had an uneasy sleep and went outside to clear her head. It's what he would've done.

* * *

Avina's cheek throbbed and her vision was blurry. Her temple was bruised and the blood that was trickling from it stained the corner of her mouth. The metallic tang in her mouth was virtually the only thing keeping her conscience. Her body ached from the beatings that she had received. A dark shape entered her line of vision but she refused to look up at her assailant. She wasn't very surprised when the person grabbed her chin roughly and shoved it up to look at them. Her eyes focused.

"Hello, my dear Avina." Rafael chuckled. She growled and he responded with a brutal slap to her face. "Shut up. I'm the one talking. I've searched a very long time for you." Suddenly, Avina swiveled her head to her right.

"Yes, he has." A voiced joined. She recognized that voice and her blood ran cold for a minute. Then, her face contorted with rage.

"River." She snarled. River stepped forward from the shadows.

"I see your senses are as sharp as ever, friend."

"You are no friend of mine, you traitor!" Rafael made a move to slap her, but River stopped him.

"Don't worry." She looked amused. "We're just bantering as usual."

"Like hell we are."

"Avina..." Her voice was disgustingly playful, as if nothing bad had ever transpired between the two. "This doesn't have to happen to you. You can still come back."

"I'd rather die!"

"Like the former General, I see..."

"Vince is dead?"

"And I have been promoted. His situation was just like yours, in fact. Tried to leave because he was blinded by regret and other foolish emotions. The only thing he should've regretted was failing to kill his brother. " Avina looked at her with hate-filled eyes.

"I'll bet you're the one that executed him." She replied harshly. River said nothing in reply, which generally meant a 'yes' to the people that knew her.

"Enough talk!" Rafael butted in. "Kill her!" River looked at him, shocked.

"And lose the greatest weapon that Genesis has ever had in decades? Unfathomable."

"She will turn again." He warned in return.

Her voice suddenly became cold and low. "No, Rafael, she won't. Because _you_ will make sure of it, and if you don't then I will kill you."

The blood drained from his face. "You wouldn't. They wouldn't know it was you."

She laughed. "As if anyone is going to try to bring 'justice' to the General Road. No, you will die if you cannot complete this task. And the same goes if she is taken by her comrades. Don't lose her, Rafael. You're much more valuable to me with a head on your shoulders." With that, River, or General Road, stepped back into the shadows, one step closer to restoring Genesis. Now, there was a final task to complete that she had set for herself to destroy Avina's soul and forever make her a part of Genesis.

Kill the Ranger.


	14. We Got A Big Mess On Our Hands Tonight

**I'm sorry it took me so long to upload! So this is an extra long chappie! Dudes, I have so many dang cliffhangers! xD I need to stop scaring you people to death. I gotta start putting more happiness. I really make Avina's life miserable, don't I?... I promise that this will all be over soon and you're going to be crying with joy at the happiness that I shall bestow upon my poor and abused characters! Btws, I've been accepted into Douglas Anderson! Yay me!**

**Mz. Padfoot14: We all have those days, don't we? Look at me, not uploading!**

**Neela SilverDust: Snap, crackle, _and_ POP, that totally did just happen! You'll definitely find out soon!**

**ally4054: Yeah, I quickly realized this was becoming a Mary Sue (embarrassingly enough, I didn't even know what the term actually meant), but I promise that she still has a lot to learn from our dear old Halt! That is, if he manages to find her in time without getting himself killed... I'm hoping that you think that this chapter will be your new favorite!**

**Frogata: I just seem to love twists, don't I? I promise to soon stop giving you cliffhangers! MUWAHAHAHAHA! TRY!**

**StarryNight: Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! Yay, gamers! You are correct, the chapter title is One Step Closer by Linkin Park! I have hopefully sent my chappie to the right person!**

**Ranger Sage: I shall as long as my soul inhabits this dreary earth!**

**WishingOnMyStar: Thank you for participating, but I'm afraid that another one before you has guessed it first! Thank you for reading !**

**hello: I really don't know if that's your name, but thanks!**

**xXFire'.ShadowXx: Thanks a lot and thanks even more for participating! You are correct but we already have a winner! Keep guessing next!**

Braxton moved as quickly as possible without appearing to be in any distress. Even though most of the first-year apprentices already had heard about his situation. Or more like, Avina's. The news of the Ranger's girl had spread around the Battleschool like wildfire. Many scoffed at the fact that she had gotten herself captured. Others were genuinely concerned for a fellow Araluen's safety. Though, none had it quite like Braxton. Battlemaster Rodney had removed him from his practices so that he wouldn't overwork himself due to stress and worry.

Braxton took a turn and caught sight of the door to the Battlemaster's office. He tapped the door several times but this time, he waited outside until he heard the Battlemaster's soft voice allowing him to enter. He did as told and waited in front of him patiently and look resigned. No emotion was shown on his face. He feared the worst and expected the best.

* * *

A couple of hours before Braxton's meeting with Battlemaster Rodney, a young girl paraded through the Redmont Marketplace, happily sucking on what looked like solid honey on a stick.

"Ah, this is awesome!" She closed her eyes and began to skip, dodging the people in front of her. Many who saw the girl were confused by the fact that her eyes were shut but she still moved around them as if she could see them. They were also stunned by how dark her skin was. It was a beautiful chocolate brown and her face and ears were angled so that she looked almost like a mythical humanoid. Suddenly, she stopped at a small cart that had jewelry on it. Her eyes got wide and the man who owned the cart could practically see the stones reflected in her honey brown eyes. He immediately jumped at the opportunity.

"A pretty necklace for a pretty girl! This one right here," he pointed to one that was riddled with green and blue gems. "Is 15 pounds, but only ten pounds for you!

She frowned. That was not a good sign for the owner.

"Unfortunately, I only have enough money for a meal and maybe a very cheap hotel room for two nights. I'm servicing you with my presence and my money, and it is not enough? Ten pounds!" She scoffed, but inside, she was smiling. She could get this necklace for 12 shillings.

"I-I can't lower the price." He stammered.

"Hn. I don't really see any customers around here for your ramshackle little cart. I suppose I'll just find another cart where it's better quality and cheaper. After all, business is already bad enough, huh?"

"5 pounds!" He blurted.

"12 shillings."

"Preposterous! You think that this is worth only 12 shillings?" He held up the necklace for her to see. Her mouth twitched with a smile.

"Of course not. But I don't see everybody rushing to your cart to see it's beauty. It's the price that's keeping everybody away. Just think about it. Get rid of this necklace, and everyone will scurry on over here because your most expensive item has been sold. That says something, doesn't it?" She drawled.

One look in those honey brown eyes and hearing her twisted words, he gave his reply.

"12 shillings." He repeated slowly. She snatched the necklace from his hand and ran as fast as she could away from the cart, before he could change his mind. On his table top, were 12 dull coins.

"Hey! Hey! This isn't Araluen money! Thief!" Guards ran to the cart-owner at his call but nobody had seen the young girl slip away, nor had anyone seen the exchange between the two. One of the guards noticed the coins and turned one over.

"This _is_ a shilling."

The cart-owner's eyes boggled. "What?"

"Yeah." He held one up to show the King's head. "It's just painted black." Nobody saw the young dark-skinned girl with the honey brown eyes sitting in the tree, sucking on some form of candy, the necklace resting on her chest gleaming. She crunched on a bit of the honey, her eyes showing amusement. When the guards had settled the owner and restored the peace, she climbed down the tree and went her way to find an inn. All of a sudden, a firm hand gripped her right bicep and she nearly dropped her sweet delight.

"Hey! Not so hard, I almost dropped my honey-stick!" She complained, not at all flustered by the guards surrounding her.

"What's your name, girl?"

She smirked. "Ieka De Mahna."

* * *

Halt's eyes studied the young girl in front of him. She had answered the guards' interrogation questions with sly retorts and sarcastic replies. The only thing that she had truthfully given, was her name. Ieka De Mahna. An interesting name, he surmised. In return, Ieka was also studying him, he realized. After she was finished judging him, she allowed a mischievous grin on her face. He noted the necklace that she was wearing and half wondered if she stole it. Her dark skin interested Halt, but he had seen skin like that a few times. Her clothes were slightly tattered and well worn. She had obviously been traveling for quite a while. His eyes narrowed as he thought about his young apprentice that had been kidnapped. The guards had given Ieka to Halt once they found that she would not talk to them.

"You're awfully boring." She jerked him out of his thoughts, but he replied with silence. "It was fun to tease around with those Araluens. But you're not talking. After all, I am quite curious to know as to why King Ferris's twin brother is here in Redmont."

Halt was stunned, which rarely happened. "Who are you?"

"Ieka De Mahna."

"Where are you from?"

"Siscery of Hibernia." He stiffened.

"And of your accent?"

"I've trained myself to speak like you Araluens." Her face held nothing but amusement. "It'd be quite suspicious if a Hibernian suddenly came to Castle Redmont with no particular reason why."

He immediately cut to the chase. He'd get more information on her later. "What do you know of Genesis?" Her eyes widened.

"Genesis?" She echoed. "If you're involved with them, you're screwed. Nobody gets away from them." Halt's suspicions were crushed. She was not part of them. He was about to dismiss himself to try and find more about this young girl, but her words stopped him.

"I can help. Tell you everything I know about Genesis." Halt couldn't feel but just a little bit skeptical.

"You've obviously somehow suffered from them. I don't really like them myself. They're dishonorable freaks that kidnap children and manipulate them to become mindless drones for their own purposes." Her face held disgust, but her eyes held clear determination.

"I will help you destroy Genesis."

* * *

Braxton sighed wearily. He should be out looking for his best friend instead of babysitting a foreigner! Yes, she could be a potential threat, but Avina was far more important to him that this dark-skinned oddity. Grudgingly, he had to admit that he could find no fault with the beautiful and hyper Hibernian.

"So it's your friend that has been taken?" Braxton was caught off guard by her question, but not very surprised. The girl didn't really shut up at all.

"Yeah." He replied somewhat sullenly. "Her name's Avina."

"Hm." She said thoughtfully. "Interesting name. Gallic?"

He nodded. "Do you know her?"

Ieka shook her head. "Nope. But I've heard of Genesis and I know what they can do. There are a couple of reasons why they might be after her."

This caught his interest. "Like what?" He asked eagerly.

"Well, she could've joined and then later left, but nobody leaves Genesis. If you try, they kill you. If she was well known as someone dangerous to them, they would come after her. If she had somehow found out about them and ran, they'd find her and kill her. If-"

"This isn't helping, you know!" His temper got the best of him.

She shrugged. "You asked. Expect the worse. Nobody escapes from Genesis. Nobody."

"Then why do you seem to know so much?" He retorted.

Her eyes flashed with anger. "Because my father is one of their colonels."

* * *

Rafael calmly sat next to the fire, smelling the aroma of the cooking boar that had been caught. It was amazingly huge and he had wondered who had managed to bring it down. Boars were known to be savage creatures and for a moment, he even considered that one of his men could be injured. He didn't care, however, about the person in question. They were losing numbers quickly and wouldn't be able to survive without all the soldiers that they had. The numbers dwindled because of foolish raids that the reckless soldiers had attempted and managed to get themselves caught and executed. After all, it was impossible to interrogate a Genesis Soldier. Right before a soldier went into battle, they were forced to take a memory-erasing pill that only worked if the soldier fell unconscious for more than 5 hours. It was genius, really.

A wretched cough alerted him to the fact that Avina was still conscience, lying on the rough ground with her ankles and wrists tied, a couple of feet away from him. A collar was wrapped around her neck and tied to the base of the tree with a chain. One of the soldiers that was conversing with a friend of his heard the young girl and delivered a swift kick to her ribs, which brought out more coughs, but no pleas.

"Shut up, you brat! What a crybaby..." The other men laughed and did nothing to stop their friend from abusing her already broken body. They jeered at her until Rafael's temper had reached its boiling point.

"Enough!" He snapped. "If she dies because of your stupid need to hit something other than each other, than you will pay for destroying our only chance of taking over Araluen! You three blunderheads get last pick of the food for that!"

The man that had been kicking Avina flinched at the malevolent gleam in his superior's eyes. They muttered a forced apology and slowly backed off while shooting deadly glares at Avina. He averted his gaze to her body and realized that she was completely still. He quietly crept over to her and turned her face to the side. He shivered as the moon cast its pale sheen onto her face, making her appear deathly white like a ghost. Or maybe she really was that pale from the abuse that she had taken over the last week. Her cheek carried a brutal slash that had been painfully dragged across her face. He could see more scratches around her neck and nobody had bothered to treat the concussion that was bleeding.

Rafael growled. This girl would be the death of him if she died. He took notice of her thin body and reminded himself that she had not eaten since she had been captured. For a brief moment, he was confused. Was General Road trying to kill her on purpose? To have a reason to get rid of him? He shuddered. The girl was 20 years younger than him and yet she was the most demonic human that he had ever met. All of a sudden, the young and pale girl in front of him opened a solitary eye. He shivered violently and for the first time, someone had scared him even more than General Road did. They way the moon reflected off Avina's eye made it seem like it was a pale grey color. An eye of a demon. It finally closed and Rafael relaxed from his stiff position. Perhaps this girl was even more demonic than the General. Perhaps she _was_ really a demon.

It was odd because strangely, he felt no hate for the girl. He never really had and he had always questioned why he had chased her down. He didn't even remember the reason why Genesis was after her. His eyes narrowed. Was this the secret passed down? The brainwashing technique that had fooled so many young ones and whipped them into a fighting shape for their minds? He felt a twinge of anger at the fact that they kidnapped children to raise them as their zombie soldiers. Maybe if he could just... His head began to hurt and he felt confusion. Since when had he begun to think of conspiracies and questioning their motives? What was wrong?

"Colonel De Mahna." Rafael turned his head to look at a lone soldier, as they were called within Genesis.

"Speak." Rafael ordered. The young boy dipped his head. He could've been no more than 12 years old.

"General Road wishes to speak with you, sir."

For a moment, Rafael stared deep into the boy's unflinching and cold eyes. Was this really the child or was this brainwashing?

"Boy," He began. "What is your name?" At this, he looked surprised. Superiors looked down upon lowly soldiers like him.

"G- Grant, sir." He stuttered. For just a quick second, he actually looked like a scared child that was afraid of the dark but the moment passed.

"Grant. I need you to take care of the girl. Feed her and wash her cuts. Lather them with a healing salve so as not to produce infection. Give her some water as well and loosen the bonds every once and a while, but leave the chain and collar."

"Yes sir." A curious gleam entered Grant's eyes. "What's her name?"

"Her name is not important to you." For some reason though, Rafael still told him her name. "Avina. That's her name."

"Why are we after her? She's dying." Silently, he agreed and sat still for a moment.

"It wouldn't do you well if you asked questions like these in front of your superiors. You are a soldier, the scum of this little bucket. Ask those questions in front of any other superior and your head would be severed, boy. Learn to hold your tongue." He sneered harshly. Another gleam in his eyes. This time, a small light of rebellion.

"Then why don't _you_?" He retorted. Rafael paused at him. Yes, why didn't he? He was second-in-command. Everyone noticed him, saw him, _worshipped_ him. Was he really this lax? Strangely enough, he did not reprimand the disobedient. Rather, he silently stood up and walked to where he was called. He soon found the General sitting at another fire, alone. She watched the dancing and dangerous flames with a cruel smirk on her face, as if she were imagining all her enemies (and allies alike) burn within the fiery pit. He noted the fact that the rest of the soldiers were distanced from their General and they curiously watched him approach her from a distance. A couple of meters away from her and a leaf crunched beneath this shoe. She did not move one inch, but her eyes suddenly angled to his with that smirk still on her face. He fought the urge to shudder again from the fact that he was still in the shadows and she stared right through him quite clearly.

"Come closer, Rafael." She chuckled. "I do not harm my subordinates." Interpretation: I do not harm my _useful tools _life-threateningly.

He stepped into the light casted by the fire. He stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, a calm expression on his face.

"You summoned me, General Road?"

"Sit." She motioned to a spot somewhat across from her to her right. After a moment, he complied to her orders and allowed himself to sit as comfortably as one could under her intimidating stare.

"We are to move a couple of miles away before daybreak. These fires may have alerted Araluens to our location and I want to be sure that they do not follow us."

"Of course, General."

"I am not finished. What of Avina?" He almost allowed surprise to break out upon his face. Was she concerned for her? Then her smirk widened. That theory just got crushed. She was smug.

"She'll die if the soldiers keep taunting her. I don't know what kind of internal damage she has. I'm no doctor, so I-"

"I could care less about that." She interrupted, an annoyed look across her features. "I am more concerned as to what information she has given."

"Absolutely none." He replied bluntly. Her eyes narrowed.

"Nothing, huh?" Her voice was dangerously low. It was the voice that he had heard so many times when she was speaking to a soldier only to find that the next day, a nameless body was to be buried.

"I don't interrogate her." He informed her in an even voice.

"Then why don't you? I'm ordering you to. From now on, you are to use any means necessary. Break her. Break her _hard._"

He blinked calmly, but was slightly disturbed by the new order. "Very well, General."


	15. Time Is Running Out

**Meh. Lots of dialogue. Sorry I haven't updated. I'm really awesome at procrastinating. BTWs, Ieka's name is prounced Ee-kuh. Just letting you know! Mz. Padfoot14 is the winner of this chapter! The song was "We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands" by The Academy Is... ! Sorry it's so short!**

**Frogata:**** Meh, I'm trying to get rid of cliffys and put more happiness... But this is kind of a scary thing right now... And yeah, she really is. You're my awesome reviewer!**

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**AND YOU ARE CORRECT!**

**ally4054: Yayyyyy! :) Thanks! I actually didn't plan him to be her father until I wrote the fact that he was a colonel. Then I was like "must write this down!" hahaha yeah not funny. ummmm here it is!**

**xXFire':**** I know right? I'm so evil to her... It would be a waste if I killed her this close to the beginning! No, this is Avina's story, and let me tell you, it's not ending ANYTIME SOON! And updated!**

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Ieka gave Halt a closed-eye smile. His lip twitched downward in response. The girl was far too out-going, loud, and friendly for her own good. Some day, she was going to give somebody a heart attack because some friendly monster took it upon herself to immediately latch onto an unsuspecting victim and bomb them with questions about Redmont and Araluen, clearly stating that she was a foreigner. At least, that's what she did once she was released from her parole with Braxton...

"Watcha thinking about?" She asked him happily. They were currently sitting in his cabin, waiting for Gilan. She then popped another honey-stick into her mouth after soaking it with tea. He wondered if those were what were making her so hyper all the time. She was going to die from those...

"What kind of information you have."

"Eh, I have lots that may or may not be useful to you specifically." He changed the subject for no reason.

"Why are you here?"

"Hmmmm?" She opened one eye, an amused smile on her face that created a comical effect. He exhaled, a little bit irritated.

"Why are you here in Araluen and not in your hometown?" He repeated with a bit more specificity. She shrugged.

"I'm running from Genesis. By the way, your little Ranger apprentice is here." She crunched on a bit of the honey stick. She did that a lot.

"I know." He replied nonchalantly. "I heard the horses." Before a knock was heard, Halt called out, "Come in, Gilan!"

The door opened and Gilan had a slightly sour look on his face. "Why can't I ever sneak up on you?" He asked dryly.

"When Abelard decides not to alert me." He noticed Ieka but before he could say anything she went ahead and introduced herself.

"Hi! My name is Ieka De Mahna!" There was that insanely happy look. "I hope we'll be friends and chew on honey-sticks together!" She frowned. "Though, you Araluens seem to have absolutely no taste in sweet delicacies."

Halt snorted at that. He had been mildly intrigued in the sweet delight, but decided not to risk his life by asking her about the treats.

"It's good with coffee, too!" She added and Gilan's eyes lit up at the name of the delicious concoction.

"Gilan," Halt warned. "Focus." He suddenly sobered up and his eyes became grim.

"Right." He remembered. "Avina." Halt noticed his former apprentice's attitude.

"Sit." Ieka invited, patting the chair next to her. Gilan took the chair and set himself down on it as if it were about to break.

"Any news?" He asked softly. Halt shook his head.

"Nothing on Genesis. I spotted some smoke coming from west. They are possibly setting up camp there."

"The Western Woods? We could go-"

"They'll have already changed locations." Ieka interrupted. "General Road is no fool. She knows that you Rangers will come after her for your apprentice. She's not taking any chances. She'll be in Gorlan by now."

"Gorlan's close by." Gilan replied through his teeth.

"It's a guess. They're not necessarily there."

"I know! I'm saying that we can search for them! We're Rangers, the best trackers! Someone like you wouldn't understand." He miffed. The chair scraped against the floor, but she was at his neck before he even heard it. A shiny blade peeked from under his throat. Immediately, Halt's own knife was in the same position below her throat but she ignored it. His eyes narrowed. That blade... Rafael's dagger... The crest!

"I know more about you cursed Rangers than you think, boy!" She hissed, her Hibernian accent fully entering her voice. "You think that Genesis is a puny cult? A ragged band of clueless mercenaries? You're wrong!" Her voice got lower and she drawled her words, almost with pleasure. "Genesis knows more about you Araluens than you would like to share..."

Gilan suddenly looked suspicious, and maybe a little frightened. He had good reason to be, Halt surmised. Whoever this girl was, she was dangerous.

"Easy now," Halt growled. "I'd like him alive." Ieka gave him a steely look before flipping her blade and returning it to whatever hidden place she had it previously.

"As I said," She stated, her voice stiff. "General Road is not a stupid and brainless Araluen. She has a strategy and even you _Rangers_," She spat the words. "Cannot possibly figure it out. She's a cunning genius, mind you."

"Halt outsmarted Morgarath." She scoffed.

"As if I should be impressed. By the time you see what she can do, you'll have wished that it was Morgarath that you were facing. You don't know anything about her and you've only just found out about Genesis. They have you right where they want you. In defeat."

Halt cut off Gilan before he could speak. "How do you know of them?"

"The same way your girl does. I once was one of them."

"Then you're a traitor." Gilan mused.

"Call it what you will, Araluen. I have no wish to deal with Genesis. I was a fool to come to Araluen. I should've travelled to Eastern Steppes. Genesis would not go as far as to invade where the Temujai reign. Perhaps my judgment is clouded by my personal feelings. I should hope that yours aren't, Araluen. After all," She stood up. "We wouldn't want you compromising the girl's life, now would we?"

"Her name is Avina." Gilan snapped.

"Not anymore, Araleun." She whispered coldly. "When she dies, she'll be buried namelessly. Like the rest of you. I'll be looking forward to seeing how long you survive under Genesis. I hear you have a sufficient army. They'll soon be put to good use, taking over the rest of the countries." She strode angrily and quickly to the door and slammed it shut. Halt turned back to Gilan.

"That went well." He concluded dryly.

"We could've arrested her for that." Gilan fumed. "Made her tell us. I should-"

"No, Gilan. We cannot torture a child for information."

"You heard her! She's a traitor to her own- own- BAND!"

"She never said it in those words. And besides, if what she has told us is true, which I believe is, then it is for good that she has left. It means she's still human."

"She is no human, Halt. She's a demon and I swear the next time I see her-"

"You'll what? Fight her because she defended when you verbally attacked her?"

"I did not-"

"You did. Gilan, she's right." He replied exasperatingly. "You're personal feelings are clouding your judgment."

"What personal feelings?" He repeated accusingly.

"For Avina. I've seen you around her. I know a 'crush' when I see it."

"I don't-"

"The point is, you may have just gotten rid of our only source to Genesis, to Avina. And if we don't get to her soon, it will be the end."

"For her?" He asked sullenly. Halt nodded.

"For us all."

**P.S. Read Author Notes for Ieka's pronunciation!**


	16. Good Riddance

**Hey guys. Sorry I'm super late. I've been super busy and have had serious writer's block. Anyways, here's a new chappie. Thanks to all my reviewers, and I encourage you to play the name game. This chapter's song was "Time Is Running Out" by Muse. Hint. I have recently become obsessed with Muse. They are my muse now. So yeah.**

"It's settled then."

"Yes. The soldiers will attack here." He pointed his finger on a map and dragged it to another position. "You will wait here until you see her. Another troop will be stationed here to help the prisoners escape. You are sure of their location?"

"Yes. They are being held there. We must hurry. They will be moving soon."

"If you find the leader or somebody close to her, capture her alive at all costs. They must not escape."

"Oh, they won't." He gathered up the map and curled it. "Are your soldiers ready?"

"Yes. We are ready to attack as soon as the girl comes. If she comes."

"She will, Rodney. She gave me her word." The Battlemaster sighed.

"Words are easily broken, Halt. You should know from experience." Halt gave no notice of the jab.

"She will come." He promised. The wind whistled violently and Halt's Ranger cape fluttered. He looked at the sky. The clouds were gathered and beginning to mold into a flint color.

"I hope you don't mean me." Halt and Rodney's heads turned to see Ieka. "I never break my word." She was smirking devilishly. "I honestly don't know what you're trying to accomplish by this. As I've said before, General Road has a plan and we don't even know what it is. But I'm content to die fighting against Genesis. It's high time somebody around here protested."

Halt gave a brusque nod of thanks to her to which she responded by lifting up her chin.

"Shall we?"

* * *

Avina was shaking violently, but not from the pain of her wounds nor of the further torture that she was to experience. An event was to transpire soon that could change lives by either alerting those to the silent assimilation that was happening or... by robbing them of one more time to see the dawn. She looked to the black clouds and whimpered. Where was the sky? She needed to see the blue skies, to see her sanctuary. For a moment, she remembered a sliver of a memory. Her mother had told her a story. A bedtime story, one that many people had once lived. Now, they were unable to see the truth, leading them to dismiss it as a legend. She became confused. Why had she remembered something as trivial as the story? The stars...

"You are to die tonight."

Avina lazily rolled her head to look at Rafael. Her face gave away nothing.

"Figuratively speaking, of course. You will live, yes, but no longer will you remember your friends. No longer will you remember your past. The past leader made a mistake by giving you pity. By letting his emotions speak for him, he guaranteed your escape, your betrayal. That is a mistake that will soon be corrected."

She blinked for a moment, taking in the information. "I will not be River's puppet."

"You have no choice." She chuckled humorlessly.

"I cannot see the sky. If you could clear the clouds," She chuckled again. "perhaps I could tell you your future."

His eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He asked slowly.

"I told you that I could tell you your future, Rafael. One thing I know despite the marred sky. You will die today. And not figuratively speaking."

"My future." His voice held disbelief. "You've gone mad." Finally, her stoic features broke. An evil smile replaced the frozen face.

"You die today."

* * *

A few moments earlier before the plan was reviewed once again, Ieka had to check one last time. "Braxton!" Braxton lifted his head to see Ieka gliding over to him. He continued to tighten the belt that held his sword on his waist.

"Can I help you?" He asked once he had finished. He finally looked her in the eye.

"Ready to save the girl you love or die trying, the last being the most likely?" She asked mischievously. He snorted.

"I don't love her. And we won't die." He radiated confidence. She scoffed in return.

"Are you kidding me? Whatever, come on. We're about to march to our deaths." She turned and once again glided through the trees. He merely shook his head. This girl was such a happy pessimist. He couldn't even believe that that was possible. _But she may be right..._ He shook his head again. No. They had to survive. There was no way that he, Braxton the boy that would one day become the most famous knight, was going to die because some cult entered their territory and deemed themselves the rulers. He would not stand by while every moral and good thing in the world was going to be summoned right out of his hands and incinerated. He would fight until he achieved his goal or until he exhaled his last breath. He picked up the sword from on top of the tree stump and sheathed it with a resounding metal resonance. No. He would fight. And he would win.

Braxton stormed through the forest elegantly, if one may put it like that. It seemed like he was gliding (just like the girl that had just passed the soldiers), and yet he had a powerful aura around him that even the experienced knights before him could not douse. He approached the authoritative figures that were sectioned off from the rest of the knights. Braxton could hear Ieka and her cool voice.

"Shall we?" He stepped forward next to her.

"Yes, Sir Rodney, Ranger. Shall we?" Ieka gave no surprise to his sudden presence but a secretive smile graced her lips. Sir Rodney gave the young apprentice a hard stare.

"Are you sure that you want to be in this, Braxton?" He stood straight from his previous position over the map on the stump. There seemed to be a lot of stumps in the forest, Braxton noted. "You don't have to make sure of her rescue. Halt here will make sure of it."

"I need to see what she ran away from." He replied with his own stare. "As her closest friend, I have to make sure that I can finally stop the demons of her past from coming back. She's my best friend. I _need_ to do this, to be here."

Ieka dipped her head. "Well said, young'un." Her voice rumbled in her throat and she raised her head to meet his eyes. "But are you sure you're up to it? Even I can hardly go up against them even with _my_ skills."

He scoffed. He seemed to do that a lot around her. "_Your_ skills? What skills?"

Her smile widened into a devilish smirk. "Have you never heard of the Temujai Raider, boy?" She replied throatily. Halt's eyes flashed towards her.

"You're the Temujai Raider." His voice held just a tinge of wonderment but it was enough to completely baffle Sir Rodney.

"Who?"

"No time." Halt cleared his throat. "We do this now or we won't get another shot." Sir Rodney nodded.

"Very well. I will alert the men. Braxton. Ieka." He nodded to the both of them as he passed. Halt merely stared at Ieka.

"You and I will need to have a talk after this is all over." His voice was stiff. She pursed her lips for a moment, amused. She did that a lot when she found things funny.

"If we survive... Ranger." She spun on her heel and presumably went to find Rodney.

"This is it." Braxton sighed, attempting to make conversation with Halt. He gave no reply.

* * *

Avina sighed in boredom. Her wounds still stung, but she managed to focus on some other thing. The clouds were clearing, she noted with surprise. She could see her freedom. She pursed her lips for a moment and then did it again when she remembered a girl that used to do this when they had been friends. Her smile faded. She couldn't even remember the girl's name. She wondered if she was alright. Perhaps the girl had escaped Genesis. But then again, Avina had barely escaped with her life.

"But," Avina spoke to no one. "a ray of hope is all one needs. To survive." Suddenly, she froze. Her hands had previously been released from the ropes so that she didn't die from the suffocation done to her veins. She rested them on the ground and listened. She could feel it. A rumbling, almost like- _Hooves!_ Avina thought excitedly. She looked around her to see if she could find anything to help release the collar and chain around her neck. Her ankles had the same pleasure bestowed upon them and she could move as freely as the chain around her neck would let her. Her gaze fell onto a sword and then flickered to the branch that she was chained to. A smile touched her lips. The trunk was too wide to tie so the soldiers had to tie it around a branch. If she could reach the sword, she could chop the branch and then shimmy the chain off!

_But the chain's too heavy for me to carry..._ She thought glumly. She looked back to the sword and stood up. It was a start. She would have to hurry. There was no doubt that River had felt the beats before she did. She ran to the sword and almost reached it when the collar pulled from around her neck. She looked at it and panicked for a moment. She was so close! She tried again and then went on her knees and reached out. She could almost touch it, almost feel the metal hilt of the sword! It was beautiful, she noted distractedly.

Avina reached even harder and she could feel the collar begin to choke her. Just a little bit more... Her eyes narrowed and her throat tightened. She could reach it, she was so close, she could reach it! Finally, her finger tipped the hilt and it fell from the stone that it had been resting upon. She gasped for air and her hands enclosed the cold hilt. She could be free! She could clearly hear the hoofbeats now and the men were starting to shout warnings and orders. Sword in hand, she ran back to the tree and swung with all her might at the branch. It barely cut an inch. She growled and tried again and again. The branch was probably about five inches thick, but with each swing, she cut more and more into it. She heard a shout fairly close to her, alerting more men to the fact that she was trying to escape. She could hear them running when finally the sword swung cleanly through the air.

* * *

Rafael sprinted towards where Avina was being kept when he heard one of his men shouting that she was trying to escape. When he got there, he stopped and breathed hard to catch his breath. There she was. Her back was to him. The chain was on the ground. Bits of wood were littered around her and in her long brown hair. Her hands clutched the sword and her head was bowed. The men slowly inched closer, as did he. Avina then raised her head and held up the sword and gestured to the men in her left hand.

"Who wants some?" Immediately, they rushed at her armed with their own swords. She ran towards them as well and with one powerful swing, she cut down one of the men, and used the hilt to hit a man in the stomach behind her. He doubled over clutching his stomach. She noticed the other men and she ran into stomach guy to push him towards one of the approaching soldiers. The combined weight of the two sent both soldiers into the ground and Avina stabbed the man at the very bottom in the neck. He screamed and she kicked the man in front of her 's face. He was knocked out. The man to her left, she tripped and used his weight to bash his head into the unconscious man's head. He didn't get up.

She turned her head and looked at Rafael. He raised his neck and cracked it.

"You know," Her voice was strangely conversational. "I've never actually fought with a sword before."

"I'm the best sword fighter that Genesis has, other than General Road." He replied absently. She gave a smirk.

"Let's find out, eh?" She ran towards him and lunged. He parried and thrust his sword out to her which she blocked. He cut in different directions but each time she blocked him. He was going easy on her and he didn't even know why. Suddenly, he thrust and instead of blocking she dropped to the ground, to which he responded by trying to stab her. She rolled over and swiped at his feet but he jumped. When he saw her standing, he knew that that was her plan. She had been wanting him to jump so that she could have a clear shot to the stomach. But instead of taking it, she grabbed the sword in his hand. Surprised, he let go and she kicked him in the stomach. His face screwed up into pain as he landed two or three feet from his original position. He felt his head hid the base of a tree and he held his head

"You see," Avina rubbed the edges of the two swords together downwards, to which she was rewarded with a steel shriek. "when you're face with a _really_ good sword fighter, the trick is to play dirty. Unless you're in an honorable match. Or whatever it's called." Rafael stood and ignored the pain in his stomach and head. A knife was thrown out of the blue and it pinned his shirt to the tree. He looked to the surprise attacker and his eyes widened.

"Ieka." He breathed. She walked over to stand beside Avina, to which Avina raised an eyebrow.

"So you escaped."

"I did." Ieka replied. "Look's like you're in a bit of a bind." Avina shrugged.

"I could've handled it."

"My father's the best swordsman I've ever seen." Avina's gaze flickered to Rafael.

"Well," She replied evenly. "I suppose so if you fight like a knight. Or a traitor of a knight."

"True." Ieka conceded. They both looked to him.

"It's over, _Colonel_." She spat. "Road will be dead soon. And so will you."

"Ieka... My daughter-"

"No. You had your chance to be my father. That was all gone when you decided to sell me into Genesis."

"I never did that!" He protested. "It was General Road! I swear, on your mother's grave, I didn't-" Ieka took Avina's right sword and ran to him. She swung, to which she was blocked by Avina, who had appeared next to her. Her breath became shaky and her eyes widened. No human could move that fast.

"What are you doing?" She growled despite her sudden fear of the girl.

"Do you really want to kill him?" Avina's question came abruptly.

"What? Of course!"

"You're absolutely sure."

"Yes! I hate him!"

"You wouldn't be able to do it, though." Ieka bristled and retreated from the sword lock that they were in.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Temujai Raider never kills. She only goes into the heart of Temujai territory and plays with the minds of the men until they are convinced that a demon has come to curse them. But never kill. I doubt you could kill your own father, despite all that he has done to you." Ieka was silent as she contemplated her words.

"You're right. I couldn't kill him even though I wish nothing in the world for him to die. I'll just hire a bandit to do it." Avina looked deep into the girl's eyes. She was completely serious. Her father's death would happen, just not directly by her hands.

Rafael suddenly gasped in pain and surprise. He looked at the sword impaled into his heart and then he stared into the eyes of his killer. Those cold blue-green-gold eyes. And then he died and his body slumped, not being able to fall because of the knife and the sword. Ieka stared at her father's dead body for a moment and then she stared at the sword at Avina. Avina pulled on the sword and removed it from the dead body. His body fell and the cloth around the knife ripped. It was no longer Rafael or Colonel De Mahna. Just a dead body. She glanced at Ieka and then returned her gaze again to her.

"What?" She asked. "It's not like you were going to do it." She took the other sword from Ieka's limp hand and she began to walk away. Ieka stared at Rafael. He was once her father. A tear lazily rolled down her cheek. A tear that held the life that she could've had with her father. She wiped it away and retrieved the knife embedded in the wood and then turned to follow Avina.

* * *

Braxton wiped the blood from his forehead and grimaced at it. It wasn't his blood. He had no head wound. He looked at Sir Rodney who had finished off the soldier that was fighting him, and was now staring in front of him. The other enemy soldiers just stood and stared as well. He turned his gaze to where all the men were looking. Halt was leaning on a tree next to an unconscious woman who was tied and gagged.

"Hey, look, it's River!" A voice called cheerfully. Braxton's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and his mouth was open as he looked to his far left.

"Avina?" He blurted out. She smirked.

"And Braxton! And Halt! This is a nice party we're having here. I don't think I got the same invitation though. How you guys been?" He gaped at her and even Halt raised an eyebrow. Since when had Avina talked that much and that cheerfully? She glared at a man who was inconspicuously trying to reach his sword.

"Colonel De Mahna's dead. I wouldn't try it." He froze at her words, as did the other enemy soldiers. Then they looked at one another in confusion. Who was in charge?

"I think the fight here has been won." Halt said.

"I do believe you're right, Halt." Sir Rodney said in a light tone. He looked at Braxton who had dropped his sword and ran to Avina. She opened her arms with a smirk and he fiercely hugged her. She even backed up from the impact.

"I can't believe you're frickin alive!" He squeezed her and then dropped her on her feet as she kicked him in the shin. She couldn't breathe.

"Alive and kicking." She replied. Braxton looked up to see Ieka approaching.

"See Ieka?" Braxton asked triumphantly. "We survived." Her lips shifted.

"So we did, knight. So we did."


	17. New Born

**Hey. Long time no see, huh? So major case of writer's block. And guess what? I'm planning to put a new Ranger's Apprentice story. Yay! Yea, ya'll don't sound excited. Anyways, this is a happy chapter! I bet some of ya'll wondered a.) where Gilan was the whole time, and b.) who's Avina gonna like, Braxton and Gilan? Those questions will be answered xD ish. So yeah, review me please! And last chapter title was Good Riddance by Green Day. And I know it's kinda short... Sorry! I promise the next chapter will be longer! And yes, I did change the name of the story! And message me for new ideas or comments!**

**Frogata: **Haha, I wouldn't know who to invite to the party! After all, Avina's hasn't met a lot of people JUST YET! Wait for it!

**M-marije-e****:** Thank you! This chapter is a lot more toned down than the others, though. It'll get better again though, soon!

**Hope and Love****:** Updated! Short, but updated. Intense writer's block! I'm planning to wear that off with my new story!

**Ranger Sage****:** Thanks a lot! And yeah, I couldn't kill off my main character just yet!

**xXFire'.ShadowXx****:** Hmmm, she was rather cheery for being in a fight. Kinda makes her more scary. And really, it's your fave? Please do tell me why:)

**Tessi**: Hey thanks a lot! I'm trying to really get back into writing. I'm going to an art school next year, so I have to be prepared. And yeah, you'll definitely learn about Avina's past...

Avina walked slowly through the dense forest. She could feel him behind her. She just knew he was there. She moved faster, but he was still there. Her figure was barely even seen as she glided in and out of the trees, her bow in her hand with an arrow nocked. Her heart began to slightly beat faster. Could she make it? She made her moved and then, _WOOSH/THOCK._ She groaned and looked to her attacker.

"Halt!" She pulled the arrow out of her cloak that was pinned to the tree. Halt stepped into view.

"Your silent technique needs work." He answered gruffly. She gave a small pout and sighed. This was the third time that Halt had caught her. "The point is for me to not see you..." She looked away in disinterest.

"Avina! Listen to me!"

"What'd you say about a lisp?" Halt's lips tightened in annoyance. Ever since the whole encounter with Genesis, she had been more outgoing with her emotions and even more defiant. He wasn't going to admit it, but he did like her better like this. Made her seem human. Instead of answering her, he looked at the sky and studied it for a moment. Then he turned around and started to walk away. Eyebrows up, Avina assumed to follow him. Speeding up, she began to walk alongside him.

"So. Halt. What's up?" He decided not to look at her because he knew there was either a smirk that meant trouble or a smile that meant even more trouble PLUS confusion. And he was already confused enough about her situation. So he didn't answer. She rubbed her bow and put his black shafted arrow into her own quiver.

"So when's the Ranger gathering?" She asked somewhat quieter now. He glanced at her this time. Her face was a bit more solemn. She was worried about how the other Rangers would react to her. After all, being the main factor of what could've been a major war wasn't exactly the best reputation around. And also the fact that she would have to show off her skills to the rest of them. Skills that she hadn't been able to practice since her capture. Rangers needed practice every day, no matter how skillful.

"In two weeks. Don't worry." He added, seeing her expression changing. "You have time."

"And I've spent most of my time so far in bed, just sitting." She muttered bitterly as she turned her head to look in his general direction. For maybe the thousandth time, Halt gazed upon Avina's right cheek where the gruesome cut was healing. A reminder of the condition that she was kept in during her time with Genesis. Every time he had looked at it he was overwhelmed by the guilt that he felt. He did feel responsible. He felt that he should have known, known that it wasn't safe for her. He should've been more careful. Avina caught his gaze and turned her cheek so that it was out of view.

"_You _don't worry about it. I'm alive. Redmont's safe. Araluen's safe. Thanks to you, Halt. Speaking of, what happened to River?"

"She's being held in the prison currently. Pauline's got it covered from there." Avina's lips twitched into a sly smile at the mention of the gray and blonde haired beauty.

"Ahhh Lady Pauline. Shame that you aren't able to join her in aide of the interrogation?" This time, his own lips twitched into a flicker of a smile as he looked unto his apprentice's face.

"I don't know what you're talking about. She's fully capable of handling even the most blood thirsty of warriors."

"Yes, of course, no need to dispute the fact that she is capable. The only question is if a certain Ranger wishes to be involved for other reason..."

"A Ranger like?"

"Hm. I've always thought Lady Pauline and Crowley looked good together." She burst out laughing at the expression on his face. She held her stomach as the forest was filled with her laughs and giggles.

"Oh, you should've seen your face!" He scowled and began to walk faster all while putting the hood of his cloak up. Managing to restrain her laughs into a couple more giggles, she ran to catch up with him.

"I'm sorry, Halt. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity." He grunted his disapproval and the cabin came back into sight. Immediately, Avina made her way to go to the back where the targets were. She had been urging him to let her practice her shot but he had been reluctant with the wounds and withdrawal that her body had sustained. Finally, he had allowed her freedom to shoot. She wouldn't waste it. But before she had completely all but bounded over to the targets, Halt stopped her by putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She stopped and looked up.

"Avina. We really do need to talk." He sighed. She looked at him with a tinge of sadness.

"I know, Halt. I know." Her reply was soft and she looked away for a moment before gazing upon the sky.

"You need to tell me how you got involved. How you got here." She closed her eyes and nodded. They stood for a moment, not daring to break the silence. Her eyes opened.

"Halt. Do you know why I'm suddenly... so different?" He didn't answer to the rhetorical question. Though he was curious.

"Everything. It was fake. It was a facade. The way I've acted for the past years. I've never really been that quiet. I've only done it because... Because I couldn't get to close. I thought that if I set myself from all of you, then I would be fine. I wouldn't feel as bad if ya'll were dead or if I was forced to leave. I was wrong." She looked down for a moment and then back up, avoiding his gaze.

"I do care. About you. And Braxton. And Gilan. Hey, even Ieka's not that bad. You only live once. And I almost came to the end." She finished and suddenly, she looked even smaller as she looked at her fidgeting feet. Then, Halt ruffled her hair for the first time and she looked up in surprise.

"Right you are, Avina. Right you are." She gave a small smile.

* * *

Sir Rodney was sitting in his office and looking over some documents. As he read a certain sealed letter, his eyes narrowed and his fist clenched. His silent fuming was interrupted by a series of sounds followed by a knock on the door. Sighing, he put the letter down before calling for the person to enter. In came Braxton.

"You wanted to see me, Battlemaster?" Rodney gestured to the seat and the young man obliged.

"Your skills shown in the battle were impressive. First years wouldn't have been able to put up some of the things that you did." He congratulated. Braxton looked surprised for a moment before he nodded gratefully and thanked him. The boy wasn't a gifted but he was better than most at his level.

"I was wondering if you'd like a tutor."

"A tutor, sir?" Braxton gazed at him, intrigued at the prospect.

"Yes. Someone to show your more technique to help you. After all, your friend Avina is a Ranger and sometimes it's useful to have both a knight and a Ranger on situation."

"But how would I fit it in my schedule?"

"Some of your more intermediate classes, I can drop. It's clear to me that you've obviously practiced above your level." Braxton's face flushed red and he opened his mouth, but the Battlemaster silenced him by a showing of his hand.

"It's alright, it's fine. It's definitely paid off. And more, it's showed me the desire that you have. I think I have the perfect teacher for you."

"Who?" Braxton was now very interested. He loved fighting with the sword. It had always felt right and he felt at home when he practiced with it.

"He's trained under MacNeil. And even though he's not widely known, he's a definite swordmaster. I believe you two have met." Once again, Braxton's mouth opened with his eyes wide to ask who. Then, a sudden knock was heard. Of course, Rodney had not even heard him. Once again, Rodney gave an 'enter' and the door opened.

"Hello, Sir Rodney! How have you been, Braxton?" Braxton's face was now struck with surprise and even awe for standing before him, was Gilan.


	18. Resistance

**Hey lookie, I'm in the old habit of updating quickly! Yay! So yeah, pretty cool chapter :) Anyone wanna message me for ideas, that'd be cool. I'm really hoping for more reviews, cuz I only got like six and reviews kinda fuel me... No pressure. Ish... Go check out my other story! It's gonna be updated regularly too. Tell me how I did on this?**

**Mz. Padfoot14:** Yayyyy you liked it! Well, I'm updating now but I'm glad you missed it! I'm glad I have you excited. Now it's a question if Braxton is going to compete with Gilan for Avina and something tells me he just might...

**Frogata: **Thanks! I've written more for ya'll and I'm glad you love it! I love it too! Ahahaha I know the feeling, I play guitar. And yeah, I can kinda tell but I would probably assume ADD first xD See ya!

**Ranger Sage:** Ahahaha, like I'll reveal that this soon. At least one of your questions is answered... Thank you!

**Hope and love:** Thanks a bunch! Updated!

**M-marije-e: **Thanks a lot! The end is a goody, isn't it?

**Tessi:** I know, it's so cute isn't it? Little father-daughter relationship moving forward :) I hope this chapter trumps the last!

**NOTE:**

**xXFire's,ShadowXx: **You're name is quite resilient on here. Every single time I type in a period between fire and shadow, and save it, it immediately erases shadow. But for some odd reason, it doesn't do it for a comma. I apologize for messing up your name in the last couple chapters. This whole document thing is stupid with that. I hope you don't mind that I put a comma there!

It was a fine day. There were no terrors threatening the safety of Araluen. Not even a petty thief hoping for a valuable item. The sun was out and was hinting for a promising day. The sky was littered with few wispy clouds. A bit like Halt's hair, Gilan mused. He was leaning comfortably against the posts on the porch of the cabin that he resided in, in Meric fief. The young man in front of him stood just as comfortable and as silent. Had he not blundered through the woods like a bear (well to the young Ranger, a bear) then perhaps he would've made an excellent apprentice for a Ranger. Cooly, calmly, they watched each other. Assessing. Studying. Gilan felt almost as if he had to compete with the boy. But for what, was an entirely different matter. Then he shook his head. He was here to teach the boy, to help progress his learning in the use of the sword. A skill that he was doing very well in, he thought.

Finally, Braxton began to fidget. He broke eye contact slowly and lazily lolled his head to the side, his eyes sweeping disinterestedly across the area in a fluid motion. His foot began to dig into the ground, creating a little depression into the earthy ground. Apparently, he hit a stubborn layer because he looked down and pushed harder until he was satisfied. And so the cycle repeated. Gilan almost let out an exasperated sigh. But that would've been a bad idea. He felt awkward around the teenager but he couldn't place his finger on it. His forehead screwed up as he searched his mind for why he was possibly feeling this way. They only met each other once, so briefly that he had never even mentioned it to Avina-. Oh.

_Oh._ That was the problem. A flare ran through Gilan and settled in his belly. It was small for now. But he knew that it would grow and jealousy would rear its ugly head and challenge anything standing in the way. And that was Braxton. But he liked the boy. He respected him. Braxton had faced enemies in the heat of battle and stood his ground like a seasoned warrior. Or maybe that was how all first-year Battleschool apprentices were like. He almost physically shrugged. Then his eyebrow raised at himself at the thought. And then he slapped himself in the face for physically reacting. Braxton swiveled his head to look at the blonde Ranger in surprise. Gilan gave a sigh.

"So!" he clapped his hands. "Braxton! Why don't you bring out that over-sized knife of yours?"

For a moment, Braxton just stared at him dumbly with his mouth hanging open. He quickly shut it though in fear of the Ranger making some sly remark. After all, that's what a lot of Rangers were known for. Secretiveness, legendary weapons skills, coffee, and sarcasm. Hm. Perhaps they weren't as secretive as they'd like to think. Gilan's thoughts were distracted by the metal sound of the sword being pulled from its hilt. He gestured to ask for the blade and Braxton complied. Gilan swung it in a full circle, tossed it up, and caught it before completing another swing. He nodded in approval. The swords were still being made the same way.

"Nice. Good balance. Not too heavy. Would be easy to lop off someone's head with this, eh?" He gave the sword back. "Let's have a go, shall we?"

Braxton opened his mouth to protest. Gilan was a Ranger, and he was a Battleschool apprentice whose day began and ended with drills. Then he shut his mouth after he remembered that this was a man who also went to Battleschool and studied under the famous MacNeil. He nodded and gripped the hilt before relaxing. Gilan bent over to pick up his own hilt and unsheathe the blue-tinged sword. It gleamed in the sunlight and he flexed. He waited for the apprentice to make the first move, but he didn't. They stood there as they had before but this time, with a different look in their eyes. It was Gilan who made the first move.

With the uncanny speed of a Ranger, he was somehow in Braxton's space before he even realized it. He reacted on instinct and he brought his sword up to deflect. Then his mind roared to life and he tried for a powerful side cut. Together, they executed a deadly but beautiful dance. But It was obvious who was the master. Braxton could feel the power behind each of Gilan's strokes and he felt himself tiring while it seemed that the Ranger could carry on for hours. Desperate, he began a side cut and as Gilan swung to meet it, he flicked his wrist so that his sword came back. Gilan's swing was still going so Braxton ducked and rolled to avoid it. He exhaled and swung from a crouched position. He could get him! Of course, Gilan was smarter.

Gilan thrust his sword into the earth, letting go, and their swords met with a metal clang. He stepped onto Braxton's wrist, quickly pulled out his sword, and swung it down. He stopped it inches from Braxton's chest. His chest rose quickly, partly from the effort and partly from the fact that Gilan's sword was a mere inch or two from severing his body in half. Despite the fact that Braxton lost, Gilan nodded in appreciation. The boy was innovative and smart, and he knew his way around the sword. He moved his sword away and offered a hand to which Braxton complied by taking it. He hauled the boy up and almost grunted. It seemed that the boy was pure muscle, because he was as heavy as a horse!

"Perhaps you should give some of your dinner to your room mates. They might just not eat for the rest of the week," he commented wryly.

Braxton smirked. "Or to your horse. Maybe then she'll start looking like a real horse," he teased back. Gilan gave a cheerful smile. This would be fun.

* * *

Back in Redmont fief, Avina was eating some of the stew that she had prepared. Her eyes warily gazed on Halt, who was reading a document of some kind. By the grim look on his face, she could tell that the letter was the bearer of ill news. She raised the spoon to eat and almost missed her mouth. She noticed that Halt had not touched his food at all. Very ill news. She knew that he had already read the letter. What could be so bad that Halt would have to reread a simple letter so many times?

It had been a quiet day before. Halt had asked her questions throughout the day. Questions about her.

_She drew the string back with the arrow nocked and she felt the muscles in her back stretching. She released it as soon as it touched the corner of her mouth. Her head bobbed up and down, satisfied at the bull's-eye mark that she had just made._

_"So where are you from?" Halt asked, watching from some distance behind her. She brought out another arrow. This time she would aim for speed and accuracy instead of one or the other. In one fluid motion, she drew, aimed, and fired._

_"Honestly, I have no idea," her reply came. A slight burr had entered her sentence. Probably because she had been thinking about her origin. _

_"I've never heard your accent before."_

_"Neither have I. I know that I come from somewhere far from the islands. Far from the known continent. Past the Northern Wastes."_

_"The Northern Wastes? How could you have come all this way from there?"_

_"From beyond. And I walked. Most of the way. And as I told Gilan, I got to Skandia, smuggled myself on a ship, and slipped off in Araluen. They wouldn't find me here."_

_"Who?"_

_"I don't know. They were trying to kill me, though. And I don't know why, either. I just wanted to be as far away as possible."_

_"Why not go to Hibernia?"_

_Avina lowered her bow and assessed the shots that she had just made. She had emptied her quiver, including Halt's arrow. He hadn't asked for it back so she would keep it. She shrugged at his question._

_"If I was in Hibernia and they came after me," she responded in a low voice, "I'd have nowhere to run. I'd be trapped."_

_Halt moved away from the subject. "How did you get involved with Genesis?"_

_Her shoulders raised and lowered in a tired sigh. "There was this guy," she began, "who had followed me to rob me. He thought he had me cornered. He thought wrong. I killed him to get away. Apparently, somebody from Genesis had been watching."_

_"Rafael."_

_"Yes. He came for me. Told me that I could have food, warmth, shelter. And a hiding place from all my enemies. Being only nine and naive, I had no second thoughts. That is of course, until I learned of what I was required to do."_

_Halt waited for her to continue. But she didn't. And that had been the end of their conversation about her past. For now._

"Halt?" she asked hesitantly. He brought his hand down, still clutching the letter. His mouth was in a taut line and his dark eyes seemed even darker.

"The Kalkara have been spotted."


	19. Showbiz

**Hello! I am so glad this chapter is over! I had no muse on how to write this. I was really stuck. Sorry it took me so long to update. I wish ya'll reviewed more though. I only got five reviews. FIVE. Thank you to the five that did! It's great for ya'll to review cuz you can tell me how i did, what needs work, and you can give me inspiration!**

Frogata: I know right? lolll this chapter doesn't really give any answers. Sorry! Don't hurt me! I had absolutely no inspiration! I promise the next chappie will be interesting! Thanks for your awesome reviews!

Ranger Sage: Thanks! LOL yayyy glad to know I have such an effect! yes, the kalkara are definitely coming back... ;D and of course I'll reveal her past! just not so soon! but this chappie is such a disappointment to me... oh well. next one will be better! pinky promise!

Tessi: thanks! and it'll kinda be like that! thanks a lot for the inspiration! :D here it is! not that great though...

Hope and love: Thanks! Despite the fact this one sucks!

Tessi: :) thanks a lot for the second review. made me come back on here and finish it!

The arrows were shot at a rapid pace, thudding into the wood with a satisfactory sound. As soon as the arrow was released another was on the way home. Avina lowered her bow and smirked proudly. Of course, she had been expecting the results but she was proud nonetheless. After all, six days ago she could barely even make the arrows stay in their intended place. She was quite pleased with her achievement. As she walked over to retrieve her arrows, she thought of the Gathering. She wondered what it would be like. Halt hadn't been very helpful as to what she would be facing. He did say though, that the Rangers always held a competition to catch one another off guard. She had pursed her lips in amusement when he told her that former apprentices always wanted to catch their masters with their breeches down. She would no doubt do the same when she graduated. Halt had scowled when he saw the mischievous glint in her eyes.

He had been keeping any information that he had on the Kalkara from her. It had been annoying her for the past few days but she knew that he would reveal what he knew when the time came.

Avina looked back when she heard her name called. She turned to see Halt standing with his bow strung and fully weaponed. She brushed her brown hair back and jogged back. She stopped in front of him, eyeing the powerful longbow.

"Since it's your first gathering, I thought we'd have our own competition." He said with a ghost of a smile on his face. She lightly scowled but then it changed into an airy smirk. A challenge.

"Where do we start?"

"Archery. Speed and accuracy."

She nodded thoughtfully and looked at the targets. They were a considerable distance from them.

"Ready?"

She nodded but neither of them moved. They just stared.

"Go!" They both nocked an arrow, aimed, and drew. Halt was faster by a second. He hadn't even aimed as he let instinct and hard training kick in. It was his years of experience against Avina's willpower and constant training. Avina continuously shot, confident in her ability. The last shot came and they drew but at the last second, a slight breeze came. Then they stopped at the same time and began to walk to the targets. Avina's arrows were a silver color lined with black feathers. Halt studied her arrows to his. Both of their arrows were in the bull's eye but it was clear that he was the better shot. But she was matching him, he noted proudly. He noticed that one of the targets had two black arrows and he walked to it. One of them was clearly straight in the center while the other one was directly under it with the two arrowheads touching. Then he saw the streak of silver paint on one of the arrows.

Avina also looked over the targets but her gaze was a bit more critical. She could clearly see that her mentor was better than her. Of course he would be. She began to pull both of their arrows out of the targets but Halt just stood there. When she got to where he was standing at she held out her hand with the black arrows. He took them and didn't inspect the points, which confused Avina. Halt always did that. She looked at where his gaze was upon and she noticed the two arrows. Halt tapped the arrow in the middle with his finger. The one with the silver streak. A small smile was on his face.

"You shifted. Because of the wind. Good job."

Avina's mouth shifted into a slight smile. Halt did not gave praise lightly and everybody who knew him well had accepted that fact. She was going to go far. Not today though, Halt thought smugly.

"Next," He began. "Combat. With your knives." Avina pulled out her throwing knife and saxe knife, examining them and weighing them in the palms of her hands.

"Can I use my other knives?" She asked and looked back at him.

He nodded. "I won't stop you. Use whatever means to defend yourself." He also drew his saxe knife. Halt hadn't really taught Avina how to use the saxe knife. That was because the Rangers usually didn't like to get into close quarters. Their specialty lied with the bow and the haunting accuracy of it. He was interested to see what his apprentice would be able to come up with. For a few moments, neither student nor teacher moved from their spot. Then, Avina sheathed her throwing knife and stood with her body to the side and her sword facing him. They waited again. Avina knew that Halt wouldn't make the first move. He was the one assessing her. Rather, she was also assessing him. He was small, yes, but that was definitely not a disadvantage. She knew that he was strong after years and years of pulling back thousands of arrows with his huge longbow. She could see the powerful shoulder and arm muscles from here. And being a Ranger, Halt had an unnatural quickness.

With a flash of silver, their knives clashed with a screech. Avina whirled around and used her momentum to carry the stroke. Before their knives met, Avina pulled out her sheathed throwing knife while mentally cursing herself for putting it away too soon. The blades hit each other again and she took hold of Halt's wrist with her free hand and kicked his stomach. He went backwards and she threw the knife but she was right about his speed. He dodged and swung. They continued to fight and Avina could feel the power from each stroke. He did not use swords but he had trained with the long and heavy blade. Avina could feel her arm growing tired so she tried a desperate move.

She curved her sword up so for an overhead stroke. Halt took his throwing knife and blocked it, the saxe on top and the throwing knife on the bottom forming an X. Halt kicked her feet from under her and placed his knives across her throat, still in the X.

"Yield." Came his quite and firm voice. She didn't bother protesting. She had definitely lost and she knew she would.

"I yield."

"Good. Because you're ready for the Gathering."


	20. Panic Switch

**OMG ANOTHER UPDATE! Isn't that so exciting? So yeah, here's a new chappie! I really like this one! I'm also very happy that I've gotten more reviews! They kind of made me write some more. Please read and review!**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS ONE SENTENCE OF INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT. BEWARE.**

Hope and love: Thank you! Updated!

Frogata: I know right? lol poor Halt. I have updated! And you find out a bit (teensy teensy bit) about the Kalkara?

: hey thanks a bunch!

pricey: thank you! This will go on for a long time!

Tessi: lol yeah, it was kind of disappointing to me. but thanks! this chappie is kind of in preparation to the gathering? next chapter!

Raider1472: I know right? *sniffle* SHE'S GROWN UP SO FAST! ahhh, the only girl... for now XD

Ranger Sage: Thanks! and haha of course! Who wouldn't? oh yeah, it'll be very interesting...

Shadow Ranger: Thanks a lot! yeah, that's one of the reasons why I didn't like the last chappie. I didn't really know how to space out the fight scene. hope you enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Ranger's Apprentice! Just my OC's!

**NOTICE:** Please check out my other story "Peace is a Questionable Luxury"! Love you guys and enjoy!

The night sky turned from a midnight blue to cobalt all too quickly. The moon was now paling and losing its glow and sheen. Birds started chirping annoyingly and Avina sighed in frustration when she awoke to them. Her green eyes glanced outside and she sighed again, knowing that Halt would've woke her up soon anyways. With great effort, she rolled in the bed and set her feet on the floor. For a moment, she just sat there with her elbow on her thigh and her face in her hand.

Thoughts of the Gathering enveloped her mind and nervousness crept in. Would they accept a female for a Ranger? She mentally slapped herself. That's what she was going to do. Prove them wrong and put to rest all the rumors and opinions that they would have of her.

She stared at the door. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see the doorknob. She then stood up and decided to go about her morning routine. _(AN: I am not elaborating on this xD I have no wish to tell that people in the medieval times had no toilets. Unless you were rich. Even then, it wasn't really a toilet.)_

Avina then locked the door and slid her night clothes and other articles off until she stood completely bare in the mirror that was way in the corner of her room and out of the window's sight. It was hard to believe that this was the same girl six or so months ago. Any baby fat left was stripped away from her face. She had always been a little bit chubby but that had been replaced by a flat and hard stomach. She poked her stomach with a few fingers and was slightly amused at the hardness there. There didn't seem to be a height difference but Avina shrugged it off. Her skin had evenly tanned thanks to the hard labor and training. And of course, her womanly features had also come in a bit more.

She had changed greatly. In six months, her life had changed. Avina walked to her bed and untangled the strings of her pack from the bedpost. She rummaged inside until she found her black bandages. Her experienced hands quickly wrapped them around her breasts tightly, but not uncomfortably. She slipped on a pair of underwear and put on some leggings that she had cut into shorts a long time ago, then chose to sport a sleeveless cherry wood brown tunic that went to about three inches above her knees. Instead of leaving an open part for the chest, the cloth rose to cover her neck like a turtleneck. It had also left her shoulders bare. The sides of the tunic were cut to a little bit above mid-thigh. She threw in a very dark green, tight sash around her middle.

For a moment, she debated with herself before sliding on some thin, sheer, black cotton socks that went just above her knees. Then she fit her feet into her soft, rustic brown boots that rose to her mid calf. Lastly, she slipped on her black, fingerless gloves. She wore them so that if her hands ever got sweaty in battle, which they would, her grip on her bow or knives would not falter. She took the belt with her Ranger knives and slung it around her waist

Once again, she found herself staring in the mirror. There stood Avina the female Ranger apprentice. She allowed a small smile before walking to her bow which was laid cautiously beside her bed. She did not need to string it now for that would only result in putting unneeded tension onto the bow. Lazily, her gaze drifted around before situated itself to the window. Already, pale light was streaming in. Her eyebrows raised at how fast the time had passed. She walked out of her room and saw Halt already sitting on the table and reading another letter.

Without looking up, he grumbled a, "Took you long enough."

Avina gave a wry smile before going to the kitchen to make some breakfast.

Halt watched his apprentice as she began to cook some bacon and fry some vegetables. She looked perfectly calm as if the fact that the Gathering today didn't faze her. For a brief moment, he wondered if she had actually forgotten.

"We leave for the Gathering after breakfast," said Halt nonchalantly. Avina nodded in a calm manner and continued about her business. He raised an eyebrow as it brought back the memory of a nervous Gilan who couldn't stop fidgeting the day of his first Gathering. He nearly smiled at the thought but he couldn't let Avina see that so he looked back to the paper that he had already reread four times.

For a moment, he thought about what she had said before. About how everything that she had ever shown was a façade. But he wondered how much of that was true. Avina was a broken girl, he could see that much. A child who's innocence was taken by the evil of the world.

"My mother was a redhead," Avina suddenly began. Halt looked up at her but her back was to him. "She was absolutely beautiful. The sun always lit up her hair like fire, and her green eyes always glowed."

She took a pause and birds chirping and whistling took her place. The smell of the food being done filled the cabin. She crossed to the cabinets and took out two dishes. Plating the meat and vegetables, she set one down for Halt and on the other end of the table, for herself. She also tossed him a fork before settling down in her chair. She twirled her fork around in her food, pushing it aside and together while in her thoughts.

"She had a beautiful voice. I remember her singing," she commented, her voice far off and her eyes wandering up. She looked more like the thirteen year-old girl that she was at that particular moment. "and I remember singing along. My father always told me that one day I would sing for the King," she gave a small, good-natured scoff. Halt wondered, for which King.

"I probably would have," she muttered silently, "had we not been driven out of our home."

Halt was about to ask on why, but she continued.

"My father had black hair with blue and gold eyes. Some people wondered if I was even related to my parents. But I had both of their eyes. I was loud and cheerful like my mother. Proud and serious like my father."

She looked down at her food and he could see her eyes watering slightly. He tried to tell her that she didn't have to continue but she merely shook her head.

"Then," Avina's voice shook slightly but took on a dark tone, "they came. Without warning, men dressed in strange armor attacked our home. They stabbed my father with a long and thin blade, who took the blow from my mother. She screamed and they ran her through as well. I was hiding in my room and they split up to find me. One of them entered my room and I nearly cried when he saw me. And then the strangest thing happened."

She took another pause and looked at Halt incredulously.

"He met my eyes and nodded before shouting to the others in some strange language. He then made a motion for me to hide and that they would set fire to the house. Don't ask me how I knew. He was pretty good with his hand gestures and whatnot. So I did. And when they began to burn the house, I climbed out of my window. And ran. And ran."

Then, Avina decided that she was finished talking and began to eat her food. Halt had lost his appetite by then. He wondered who these strange people were who attacked an innocent family. He decided not to comment on her loss. It had been hard enough for her to admit it as it was.

Instead, he gave a, "Thank you."

She nodded without looking at him, gingerly chewing on broccoli. His mouth twisted into a half smile as he noticed the look of distaste on her face as she ate the vegetable. Halt picked up his own utensil and also began to eat. He did not have a hunger anymore but he knew that if he didn't eat now, he would regret it. They both ate in silence, but it was a companionable silence.

Once they were finished, Avina took both dishes and forks and washed them while Halt went outside to check on the horses and feed them. She completed her task before turning to her bow. On one end, was the loose cord. Taking the cord, she stepped in between the cord and the actual bow and placed the curve behind the side of her foot. Her hand pressured the bow forwards toward herself and she placed the end of the bow through a loop in the string. She tested the string by pulling it back several times and nodded, satisfied.

* * *

Avina gently rubbed Kashmar's star as they rode on the dirt path. They have been traveling in complete silence for nearly twenty minutes

"We're getting close," Halt informed. "Soon, we'll be seeing the other Rangers."

"Ah," Avina remarked in a knowing tone, "they'll be aiming to surprise us, will they?"

He nodded in return and inconspicuously jerked his head. She nodded with a smile on her face, then swung her legs over to the right side of Kashmar's saddle and slid off. He continued his heavy patter as if she were still riding him.

For a while, Halt continued alone with Abelard and Kashmar. His gaze kept wandering towards the trees. He had expected to be able to pinpoint Avina's location at all times but she was doing a very good job at keeping him in the dark for a few minutes.

Suddenly, an arrow buried itself into the ground nearly a foot away from Abelard's hooves. Any other horse would've panicked and reared but Abelard was too smart a horse for that. He knew an incompetent Ranger when he saw one. Instead, he stopped and merely tossed his head as if saying, _is that it?_

Halt mildly turned to the direction of where the arrow came from and out stepped Gilan in his usual enthusiastic manner.

"Good day, Halt," he greeted with a animated grin plaster onto his face. "Such a nice day to take the horses out."

Halt nodded in agreement. "Abelard's been wondering when I'd be able to take him out."

The horse snorted in disagreement while Kashmar tossed his head and gave a small playful whinny. _Don't forget about me._ Halt patted the young horse's side and turned back to his former apprentice.

"I've finally got you, Halt. I've started as soon as I was given my oakleaf-"

"Which wasn't that long ago, mind you."

"and I've finally got you!" Gilan finished triumphantly. Halt raised an eyebrow, a gesture that Gilan had seen thousands of times.

"Aren't you forgetting something? Or more like someone?" Halt suggested lightly with an amused look on his face. He obviously hadn't noticed the young girl.

Gilan waved him off. "I've checked for Avina. She's been looking for me. I threw her when I retraced my tracks and went in the parallel direction. She-"

"Was smart enough to realize that you would probably lay a false trail," Avina finished coolly. Gilan spun around to see her standing two feet behind him with her arms crossed. He stared dumbfounded, before shaking his head. Halt gave a smirk.

"Well played, Avina," he chuckled. "Well played."

She dipped her head with a gentle smile. "And the same to you, Gilan. I really didn't expect you to lay that trail. I just knew because Kashmar caught your scent on the wind blowing from the north."

Gilan nodded approvingly before sweeping her up in a hug. She returned it with the same affection and then released it. Gilan, Halt noted, seemed to have a slightly crestfallen look that was replaced when Avina's eyes searched his face.

"How have you been?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I've been well. And you?" he asked softly. She nodded in agreement.

"As fine as always. Have you been getting the same letters as Halt?"

Gilan gave his confirmation before letting out a shrill whistle. Avina turned as Blaze, Gilan's mare, trotted over. Avina smiled and caressed the horse's face and neck. She gave her attention back to Gilan however, when his tone slightly tightened.

"What I have been informed of is of no good whatsoever," he said. Halt nodded and dismounted off of Abelard and walked to them.

"The Kalkara have been hunting nearby," said Halt. "It's made all of us rather uneasy. You know of them?"

Avina answered with a 'yes'. "I've heard the stories. Of them and of Morgarath. He was a Baron before, wasn't he?"

Gilan showed his surprise at Avina's knowledge but Halt merely nodded.

"One of the best. He's been seeking revenge for a long time. Crowley thinks that he's making his move now. And a bold move it is, sending two Kalkara this far into the country."

"Surely they aren't going after the King?" Gilan asked. Avina thought about it for a moment.

"Isn't that rather risky? It seems more like he's forcing our hand."

Halt conceded both points. "Both are valid. But that it why the Gathering is being held earlier. To find out what it is that Morgarath is planning."


	21. Do You Know What I'm Seeing?

**So this isn't _exactly_ the Gathering but I promise (yes, I upmostly swear) that the next chapter will _fully_ be the Gathering. I have a surprise for you... :) Thank you ALL who reviewed for me ;) Your reviews helped me get back on track with this after a MONTH! Oh dear, that was too long. I'll try to update again this or next week. **

**I am starting a new FIC! Sorry to all you Ranger fans, but it is NOT a Ranger's Apprentice fic. It's and X-men First Class fic :D**

**Please check out my other Ranger's fic 'Peace is a Questionable Luxury'! please please please!**

Hope and love**:** Thank you! Sorry you had to wait this long but it's finally here!

Eclaire98: And I want to thank you for taking your time to review on said great chapter/story! Ahahaha maybe she'll like Gilan and maybe she won't... There's a twist for that :) Thank you!

RangerSage: I know! Thanks a bunch! Hahaha yuppers! And yes we did! I liked writing her parents :) Lol you never did release the Plot Dragon on me xD.

Raider1472: thanks, and i do that a lot, don't I? There's a bit of a quick ending on this one too cuz I like to leave it hanging! Thank you for that correction! I was horrified when I read it because it is completely noticeable! I thank you for looking after my mistakes!

Dragon Lovers in BC: Thank you :) Yes, we'll see on how well I'm able to write his past. Maybe not too soon. Or maybe he will... new chappie!

Tessi: And I'm sorry to say that this isn't exactly the Gathering but I'm hoping you love it as well! Ahahaha they seem to be quite the pairing, don't they? I wonder if someone else also has Avina's eye... Here it is!

Littlbmw: Hey thanks a lot! I'm still learning every week but I try! Of course I'm going to write more! I'm sorry it took so long to update but this story is far from over! Yeah, I try to make it very mysterious while in my other fic I'm hoping for a more humorous outlook. Thank you! Sorry I didn't message but for some reason my message thingie's not been working!

callmecat: Thank you! As I've said, I'm still learning to do a better job! My first chapters sucked hahaha! Not quick, but it's here! I love it too!

Tessi: Wait no longer! Even though you have... Hope this is awesome too. If not, tell me! And not exactly the Gathering but I promise the next will be!

pricey: Thanks a lot! And would you still follow my story if I made it with Braxton? ;) I have a satisfying partner for her... Note, this does not mean it is Braxton and that it rules out Gilan...

xbamsod: I'll definitely try my hardest. I think she's a Mary Sue, but I like her like that. She definitely has weaknesses though... Not the Gathering per say, but close.

luke: 3 I absolutely love Muse 3 and there's gonna be romance, I promise. I'd just like for you guys to get to know her get to know her love interests...

They approached the Gathering grounds in silence. The mouthwatering smell of meat cooking blew in with the wind and Avina could already see tents pitched. She gave a small twitch of her lips in anticipation and her eyes wandered over to where Halt and Gilan were riding. They were both so calm with the same expression upon their faces. It was amazing to see for once how alike former teacher and apprentice were.

Her gaze turned back to in front of her and she gently caressed Kashmar's neck to which he replied with a small snort of happiness. Now, she could see the Ranger horses grazing in one group and archery targets set. Excitement coursed through her and she raised her head to get a better look. She was now going to take the final test. The test that would determine if Avina really had what it took to be not just a Ranger, but the first female Ranger.

They rode closer until she could make out people. The Rangers were busying themselves, pitching tents, cooking delicious foods, and some already having humorous contests. Some of the men gave quick, curious glances towards the young girl riding upon a dark horse next to two of the best Rangers in the whole Corps. Avina met each and every one of their gazes but neither lowered nor raised her head. Halt had told her already that people would always stare at a Ranger. If she had abruptly turned her eyes from them, they would've sensed her nervousness and thought her fearful. However, if she raised her head it could be misconstrued as her believing that she was higher in status than all of them.

Avina, of course, was already familiar with certain tactics such as these. It was all about the psychology and she sure knew how to use her mind to manipulate people. It had served her well in Hibernia, when she had met a young girl that had nearly turned her in for knocking out several of the King's guards. She briefly recalled the memory.

"_You! Stop right there!" a feminine voice with a heavy accent called out. Avina had no intention of letting somebody catch her and did not hesitate to run faster. Dodging people soon turned to dodging trees and she was quick to assess the landscape to determine a fit exit route. What she didn't anticipate however, was the girl throwing a bola at her. Avina went down with a fierce cry of pain and clutched her aching and possibly broken leg._

_"I told you to stop didn't I?" Avina could finally see the girl. She had dark chocolate skin with shimmering hazel eyes that were dark with anger and suspicion. _

_"And get caught and thrown in jail for no reason? Right," Avina replied dryly. The girl bristled and took a few steps forward to where Avina was laying. She grabbed hold of the bola before wrenching it off of Avina's leg carelessly, eliciting a shout of pain from her._

_"You messed with two of the King's Royal Guards. You got what was coming."_

_"Why do you think I knocked them unconscious? They wouldn't let me leave."_

_"Leave where?"_

_"From here, obviously. I need to get out of Hibernia. I was going to catch a ride with a couple of mean, ol' Skandians."_

_The girl's eyes bulged for a moment. What? That's it? No fight for information, no need to interrogate anybody? Did she honestly just give up her plans? Avina seemed to sense the young girl's internal fight._

_"There's no need for me to keep my means of escape private," Avina commented slyly and gladly noticed the shudder that passed through the Hibernian._

_"I'm taking you under arrest," the girl slowly, hesitantly, said. Avina shook her head._

_"No, you won't. What's it to you? You turn me in, and then what? You'll be rewarded by the King himself for your efforts? You'll be given a substantial sum of money? Face it. You gain nothing by turning me in."_

_"I do not need rewards to care for my country!" she thundered scarily over Avina._

_"No. But that was a different time. A different Clonmel. Before King Ferris was "given" the throne, eh?" Avina edged. Her words were seducing, full of contempt and yet, grace. This girl knew exactly what she was talking about._

_"What do you know of the King and his people?" she growled._

_"Tell me your name, first."_

_"Only if you tell me yours," she retorted. She was surprised when Avina relented. _

_"Avina. And you?"_

_She hesitated for a moment. "Ieka."_

Needless to say, Avina managed to wriggle her way out of Ieka's grasp. It had been relatively easy for the young girl. After all, mind tactics were all she had back then.

"They're staring," she spoke out the corner of her mouth to Gilan. He nodded.

"I know. It's all part of being Halt's apprentice. And being a girl, at that."

"Quiet!" Halt shushed them both and they fell silent. "Go pitch our tent. I'll go find Crowley. And actually get something done. I will still tan your backside, Gilan, if you distract my apprentice!" he threatened gruffly. Avina quirked a smile and her amused eyes fell on Gilan who was trying to pass off the last comment.

As Halt rode away, Avina teased, "Don't worry. He's just making sure that I'll be able to defeat you today in front of everyone else."

Gilan seemed to find this funny for he laughed. He stopped when he caught her serious yet amused expression. He gazed at her quizzically.

"I'm being serious," she relented. His eyebrows rose before he nodded and smiled.

"Well then, I'll have to watch my back today."

She chuckled, "You will." She looked up at the cerulean sky. Her eyebrows were dented as she seemed to study it and in turn, Gilan looked up as well. For a moment, he wondered if she had actually seen something or if she was jesting. There were no blemishes in the sky, not even a wisp of a cloud. Avina did not laugh and tease him for looking. Nothing. He looked back at her.

"Avina?" he asked, tilting his head in a childlike way. As if in a daze, a look of realization entered her face and she snapped her eyes towards him. They cleared considerably.

"We should begin our tasks. You know for a fact how annoyed Halt is when you can't clean the cabin in under twenty minutes," she said casually. He agreed with a smile but a small part of him wanted to ask just exactly what she was looking for. But he didn't.

When Halt had returned to them he half expected to see the two apprentices (Gilan would always be his apprentice) gone. Or not see them, would make more sense. Instead, he came to three pitched tents and the horses already lightened of their loads. He grudgingly admitted to himself that they had done a good job. But he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing that. Avina and Gilan were talking casually and seemed not at all surprised when Halt had stormed in quietly and demanded why they were just sitting there and not getting ready.

"Relax, Halt, the dragons have yet to come alive with your untamed fury," Avina joked.

"You should not be spitting out pretty words while your apprenticeship is in the balance."

"Halt, if you had no faith in me then I wouldn't be here," she replied. She stood up, rubbing her stomach and frowning. "When do we eat?"

Gilan laughed, "After your assessment is over."

She nodded. "And when's that?"

"Right now if you'd let me get a word in," Halt replied dryly. She pursed her lips in amusement and followed him back to… wherever he had come from. They approached a tent, a tent far larger than the others. Halt pushed back the flap as they both entered. The men inside stopped talking as they looked at the new, young apprentice. One cocked an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. Another one, a tall man with dark blonde hair and a creased face that clearly held many smiles approached her with a hand out.

"So this is the young Avina that I fought for in the Battle of Genesis."

They shook hands and her face lit up in surprise. "It has a name now?"

He nodded. "A great mark it's made. The Battle that could've decided Araluen's fate."

She nodded absentmindedly. "You know my name. What of yours?"

"My name is Crowley," he replied cheerfully. In a way, he reminded her of Gilan before she actually registered the name.

"Crowley as in the Corps Commandant, Crowley?" she asked, dumbfounded.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm also known as that."

If Halt didn't have a reputation to keep, he would've chuckled at the split second expression on his apprentice's face. It was replaced by a mask and she nodded respectfully nodded at the senior Ranger. Her eyes slightly shifted to the other Rangers for a moment but Crowley caught it.

"Ah, yes, you have yet to be introduced to some of our Rangers!" Crowley remembered. He gestured to each Ranger as he introduced them. "Merron right here, Garrett, Bartell, and my apprentice, Will."

Her eyes swiveled to each until they rested on Will. So this was the apprentice who had gotten caught up in the boar hunt. Interesting.


	22. She Had The World

**I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF! I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! Anyways, what's up peoples? I'VE UPDATED! Yeah, I haven't had lotsa inspiration and then BOOM, this came outta nowhere! You guys won't believe what I did... IT'S THE GATHERING FINALLY! Thank you so much those who have reviewed and favorited/alerted this story. That really does mean a lot to me. Not bribery or anything, but more reviews produce better results!**

SoulMistress12: Haha I don't remember either! Thanks a lot! Will being Crowley's apprentice was totally made on the spot :D and yes, Halt and Will are strangers as of right now. and yeah I know, same here but luckily I know my neighbor's WiFi password haha!

Raider1472: Lol guess what? Gilan and Avina in this chapter. BUT.. well. You'll have to read xD And yes! Will is Crowley's apprentice! Thanks!

Dragon Lovers in BC: Thanks a bunch! Updated!

Tessi: I know, it's so exciting! Yeah my suprise wasn't that big, it was Will being Crowley's apprentice :P but there's a suprise here... Updated!

Hope and Love: Thanks and updated!

anonymous: :D ;) xD :) 3 OMG that's a good idea... love you! Thanks for reviewing!

callmecat: thank you and I think you'll love this more!

Ranger Sage: Thanks! I KNOW, YAY WILL! hahaha you'll love this chapter... PLOT DRAGON D: I have a surprise for you. you are a Ran- ;)

anonymous: Thanks a lot! Now now, no need for unpleasantries (but I do hate it when people do that too D:). Thanks a lot!

pricey: thank you! haha thanks a lot :)

* * *

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice, nor am I making any profit on this fan fiction. This is purely for my and your entertainment.

**PLEASE READ THE AU:**

* * *

She had to admit that she had never seen anything quite like what the Gathering was. It was, well, just a huge group of a common (well Rangers aren't really all that common…) people who eat, play games (to put it lightly), joke about each other, and then maybe later get down to the serious stuff. That was how it was supposed to go, at least. So far, the only thing she had enjoyed so far was meeting Will.

Will was a boy who was definitely older than her but stood at about an inch taller. His body was lean and slightly muscled from the Ranger training that he had received, probably. He had mouse brown hair that curved along his face and ended below his ear. His eyes were the same color but a darker brown outlined his iris. He was fairly tanned, not too much, but it was his face that struck Avina the most. A young, boyish face that held the determination that the most experienced soldiers would never encounter. And yet, there was an innocent look about him. She gazed upwards and then remembered that she couldn't see the sky. But she knew.

He was, to put it one way, a striving boy trying to prove himself and that would one day turn into a handsome man with accomplishments Araluen had never seen. Yes, Avina knew this. This Will was an important part of the future. She could see it.

Avina looked at Will's outstretched hand before shaking it.

"You got a last name, Will?" she asked somewhat politely. He shook his head.

"No. I didn't know my parents. I grew up in the Ward," he explained. Avina tipped her head in surprise and confusion.

"Really." It was not a question but more of completely befuddled expression. He began to look confused as well. Poor Will. The look didn't suit him at all. It just made him slightly more innocent looking. Avina wondered for a moment if Crowley could really put up with this boy and his expressions and most likely literalness.

"You look confused," he commented lightly. She jerked her head in a nod.

"As do you," she replied slyly. He stiffened slightly and it came to her that Will believed that she was looking down on him because he was from the Ward.

"Relax," she said. "I was only curious as to why I'd never seen you before then."

His face was covered in shock. "You lived in the Ward?"

She nodded in reply and raised an eyebrow, looking at Halt who was standing to her right. He shrugged for a moment before sneaking a hard glance towards Will, scrutinizing him. Then he turned his gaze to Crowley where their eyes met and some unspoken message passed between them the way that only the longest and closest of friends could do.

Halt broke the silence. "Chat time is over. You two have assessments to pass."

Will and Avina locked eyes and both nodded. Both of them would speak to each other. After they got their oakleafs. As Will retreated back to Crowley to speak with him Avina did the same with her mentor, Halt.

"Will Crowley mention the Kalkara?" she asked and he snorted in return as if she had asked the dumbest question in the world. Her mouth tightened in annoyance.

"What do you think? We came here earlier because we missed everyone so much?" he asked sarcastically.

"I thought apprentices weren't allowed to think," she retorted. He nodded seriously.

"With good reason. Stupid questions come from thinking apprentices," he said knowingly.

"And snide remarks come from old Rangers. What's my first test?" she changed the subject. He jerked his thumb towards her bow and her hand raised to rub it.

"Archery. You'll be paired with Will and any other apprentice that's here. Your assessor will explain what you need to do," he finished. Merron stepped forward and past her, opening the tent flap. He motioned for Will and her to follow him out, which they did. They began to walk across the field, passing numerous Rangers that eyed them for brief moments before occupying themselves once more.

Merron led them to another tent and gestured for them to stay outside. Apparently, he wasn't big on talking. Will probably caught the same thing and he gave a chuckle.

"You nervous?" he asked nonchalantly. Avina realized, that she was indeed nervous. She hadn't been scared for the Choosing when she was still a Wardling. But this scared her. If she didn't pass, what would Halt think? What would he do? Would he still keep her or was she to be disbanded from the training?

A million scenarios suddenly came to her head and she gulped. She briefly noted that Will was still waiting for her answer.

"Nope. Not at all," she said in the same tone and eyed him. "You?"

He flushed. "No!"

The tent flap was pushed open and Meralon came out with another young apprentice who was slightly taller than both her and Will. He had dirty blonde hair and nervous dark eyes. So he too was worrying about this whole assessment.

"Hey." Will stuck out his hand. "I'm Will and this is Avina. I'm guessing we're not the only ones who feel like we're on the chopping block," he joked.

They shook hands and Avina raised an eyebrow. Will was quite a friendly soul. Something about him was just so likeable. She watched in amusement as the unidentified boy noticeably relaxed and calmed down.

"I'm Sage," he said softly and put on a smile. He and Avina shook hands before Merron ushered them over to the archery range. This was nothing like the practice range that every Ranger had back home. This was some high quality stuff. The concept was the same though. Some of the targets were closer, some farther. She silently counted and found that there were twelve targets.

"Draw your bows, please," instructed Merron. The three apprentices did as he said and he continued. "Shoot at all the targets but don't hit the same one twice. You have a thirty second time limit. Go!"

As if they were puppets, the apprentices all raised, notched, drew, and shot in what seemed to be less than a second. Avina could practically feel the sting of the feathers as they nearly touched her cheek before flying past. This was no longer a competition between the three. It was every man for himself.

Avina soon shot her thirteenth arrow and her eyes widened in panic as she realized that the arrow was going off course. She cursed herself for not checking the wind and in the same half second, she shot another arrow at the bad one. Miraculously, the second one collided with the first and sent it careening into the very edge of the bull's eye. However, this meant she was an arrow short and her breath sped up.

She kept shooting until she was down to her last arrow. Her plan was to use the extra- but then she remembered with dismay that her packed arrows where were they were. On Kashmar's saddle pack. She dropped her bow a second after Will's and at the same time as Sage's. She clenched her recurve so tightly that her knuckles turned white with the strain. She didn't bother looking at Will's and Sage's shots. It was only her shots that mattered to her.

She watched painstakingly as Merron examined the targets before instructing them to retrieve their arrows. She sighed as she began to walk with the other apprentices. It was one of the longest walks of her life. Had she failed? It was just one arrow but could one arrow really make the difference between a Ranger and- and what? What would she be if she failed?

Her chest was tight as she pulled out her silver arrows. When she got to the target with the stray arrow she realized that the arrow that had corrected it was her new one and Halt's old one. The black shafted arrow with a streak of silver. It looked like she had a lucky arrow. She silently pleaded that this mistake could be fixed and would not tarnish her career.

The apprentices returned with all their arrows intact, except for Avina's broken one. She stared at Merron for any sign of her failure but she found none. His face was impassive and he nodded at them. For a quick second, he tipped his shaggy black head and scratched thoughtfully at his age-concealing beard. It was more of a bit of scruff than a beard, really. Then he decided.

"Free for all. Shoot as much as you can until my word. No need for speed, just get it right. An ordinary archer practices until he gets it right, a Ranger practices?"

Avina sighed before chorusing with the two boys. "Until he never gets it wrong."

He nodded before motioning for them to start again.

* * *

The sunlight was blaring in the afternoon hours and whatever shade that the trees cast made anything standing out in the open glow like a beacon. Avina squinted her green eyes to look past the shiny lime green foliage. She could just make out Gilan's tall frame and his shining blonde hair. He quickly moved into the shadow and she could no longer see him.

Avina had been tracking him for quite some time, staying on what she hoped to be his blind side. She had passed Sage just a while ago, back where the river met the pebbled rock and she had seen Will last in a tree a few tens of yards back. She guessed that both of them were going to go after Gilan as well. No one was going to try and test their unseen movement against the Commandant. She had considered it, wanting to test her skill but also not wanting to possibly blow her chances if he caught her. Besides, she had snuck up on Gilan before.

She decided to go a couple of tree-lengths in front of her before retracing her footsteps very carefully back to her hiding position. However, before she completely repeated her steps she stopped for a moment, completely frozen. Confusion completely filled her mind. Why had she stopped? It was as if her body refused to follow her commands and had just stilled itself into place. She took a step back, still confused before realizing what it was. Then, she went back to her original spot.

From there, she looked around and deduced the most unlikely tree that she could climb into, which she then found. It was a robust tree with much foliage and many branches (as were most of them) but what set this one apart was that it was only one of five trees in that area that's lowest branch was ten feet off the ground. Avina studied it and sized it up before deciding that she could definitely get up this one.

Coincidently, the tree that she was standing next to had a branch that somewhat leaned near her chosen tree. Granted, she would have to jump a pretty far length to get into her desired spot. For a moment, she hesitated as she thought about how high this branch was. Heights weren't a big deal for her, despite the fact that she used to be afraid of them. However, it was how far she would have to jump. From her eye, it seemed to be about four feet across. Not a problem. If looking from the ground and looking in front of you were the same proportions and they were definitely not. The moment passed as she jumped up and grabbed the lowest branch.

She hauled herself up and put her legs around the branch like she was cradling it before using her strength to flip over onto the top. Then it was just a matter of grabbing the branches and twisting through the spaces. She climbed about twenty feet before she saw Gilan again. If she could see Gilan than he most definitely could see her. She stilled in a fortunate spot that was covered in large leaves, waiting until he had passed. He hadn't followed her trail and she breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't gone too far before her backtracking for him to notice.

When she was confident that he was going after Sage, she climbed a few more branches before cautiously climbing out onto what was the narrow branch that she would use to jump from. She crouched and looked over into the tree. Did she really have to go into this particular tree? Yes. She had too. Otherwise, she had no chance of standing the two best unseen movers.

Avina was right that the proportions were off. She guessed that she had about eleven feet to jump. There was no possible way for her to make this. And then she noticed something. The branch that she was on, curved into an upward position. The branch that she was supposed to jump onto had a slight indentation in the middle of the branch. If she jumped right to that point, she could make it across.

She slowed her breathing but she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. If she dropped, there was no doubt about it. She would die. Death over failure? She thought for one last moment. One last crucial moment. Panic flew through her, her pupils dilated, her breath sped up, and her heart beat even more furiously so. That was the moment she made her decision.

* * *

This was proving to be a hard bunch, Gilan surmised. Even though he had managed to see Sage and Will, he had only seen them both once. Avina, he wasn't even sure if he had seen her or not. If it was, then he was paranoid because he could've sworn he had seen her in one place and then in another five seconds later. He had also seen Crowley hanging near his hideout.

He was currently searching for Avina and he was sure that he would find her soon. The objective of this test was for the three apprentices to either sneak up on either Crowley or himself, or stay completely out of the way. He had to admit that all three of the apprentices had already passed by his standard. He had only just seen Will as they were nearing the end of the test and he had spotted Sage by a lucky chance even though he was following the trail.

Gilan stopped and frowned. Odd, he thought. The tracks just ended at the base of a tree in front of him. He briefly asked himself if she was in the tree before looking more closely at the tracks. He kneeled and his fingers lightly skimmed the print. They were different than the others had been. He touched the toe area. It was deeper than the heel impression. He tipped his head in thought. Tiptoes, he thought. Tiptoes… Backwards, he realized. She had gone over her tracks! He followed back before stopping at a particular print. It was a full print. For whatever reason, she had eased her heels back down in one print. His eyebrows furrowed. Why-

His thinking was interrupted by a weight pulling him down to the ground out of nowhere and he let out a surprised cry. His landing was cushioned by something warm and soft and he realized it was his jumper. The figures hands clutched the back of his shoulders and he turned his head over to meet Avina's amused eyes. She was somewhat cradling him and her expression carried a mixture of laughter and triumph. No words formed in his mind, save for her name.

"Avina?" he asked incredulously. Finally, she let loose and let out a peal of laughter.

"You didn't see me! You didn't expect it at all!" she lilted delightedly and even in shock. His head shook in both admiration and flabbergast. "You trapped me?"

She began to babble breathlessly. "Well, I didn't even step here on purpose and I wasn't even going to jump on you, just keep out of sight but the opportunity arose and I couldn't help but take my chance and so—,"

He cut her off. "Wait, there's no way you could've gotten up this tree. I can't even reach that branch and I'll dare say I'm a few heads taller than you."

She would've frowned and grumbled at him if she weren't so ecstatic. "I climbed that tree back there," she motioned to the tree next to them that was a few yards away. "and jumped off a somewhat intersecting branch into this one to throw you off."

Something halted in his mind. "Somewhat?" he asked seriously and looked up. What he saw made his face crease in anger. "Avina, you jumped from that height? What if you were hanging up there and couldn't get down? What if you had fallen and died?" he demanded.

She looked offended. "I didn't want to be seen. I didn't want to fail this assessment. I... I didn't want to face Halt if I didn't pass," she replied softly.

He looked abashed for a moment and then laughed. She looked at him confused and somewhat hurt as well. He quickly reassured her.

"No, it's alright," he comforted. "It was just that I had the same feeling. As do all apprentices." He gave her a small smile. "You don't fail if I see you. You're still learning. And trust me, you're passing so far." A chuckle left him and Avina found herself smiling and a light blush crept onto her face. She cursed herself. This always happened when she was with two people. Gilan and Braxton.

His eyes looked over her face and his mouth opened in a smile that just barely showed his teeth. He chuckled again.

"You really are remarkable."

Avina could feel his breath on her lips and his hair on her forehead. She looked down to his lips for a moment and then back to his eyes. Experimentally, her hand slid from the back of his shoulder to the back of his neck where she lightly threaded her fingers into his hair. She stared into his dark green eyes. They were beautifully green. She had seen his eye color before, seen prettier colors like the sea-foam eyes that her mother had. But his were special because she doubted that anyone else could look into these eyes and melt in them.

She swore that they were getting closer before a voice called them out.

"_Avina_. _Gilan_," The steel voice jerked them both out of the connection and Avina teared herself away from Gilan while standing up awkwardly. The both of them stared at Halt and Crowley, and they stared back at them. Gilan slowly stood up and met Halt's stormy eyes.

"Halt. Crowley," Avina greeted weakly but she kept her face calm. The only acknowledgement Halt gave her was his hard gaze quickly shifting onto her, like a snake. They stared at each other for what seemed to be minutes before her mentor jerked his head to the side. She gave Gilan a worried look before walking over to them. She passed Halt without looking at him but she did steal a glance at Crowley. His face was emotionless. As soon as she passed them, she bit her lip and felt tears in her eyes. None fell.

* * *

Halt stared at his former apprentice and Gilan stared back. There was no way he could deny what he had just seen pass between him and Avina. Crowley caught Halt's eyes for a moment. Then, Halt gave a nod before Crowley turned and silently walked away. He looked back to Gilan and he was a bit surprised to see Gilan's face muddled with rebelliousness and even anger. Halt's face softened.

"Gilan," he said and paused for quite a long time. The tall Ranger raised his head higher and his expression stayed the same, perhaps even steeled a bit. He thought about why he was going to say this to him. There was nothing against Rangers having relationships, absolutely nothing. It was a hard thing to do but not forbidden. But this was Avina. A girl who was danger and who would always be in danger.

"Don't do something you'll regret," he finished warningly before turning and following after Crowley and his apprentice, leaving Gilan in dark thoughts.

* * *

O.O... Halt...


	23. It's Going Down

**Hey guys I know it's been so long but my laptop totally broke on me! It's finally fixed so I'm uploading this**

* * *

Nerve-wracking couldn't even describe how Gilan was feeling, despite the steeled mask that was spread across his face. If he weren't a Ranger, he would've been chewing on his lip and shifting on his feet back and forth. His former mentor, Halt, was standing right next to him on his left while Meralon was on his right. He along with another Ranger stood in front of Crowley. These were the assessors that would determine the pass or fail of the newest apprentices that had come to the Gathering. They did well, all of them, he thought. Indeed, they had. However, Gilan couldn't help but wonder if Crowley would announce what had conspired between him and Avina, and then proceed to either expel him from the Corps or delay her apprenticeship. In the back of his mind, he knew that relationships were not barred from the Rangers- apprentices and Rangers however might be a different story.

Crowley suddenly winked at Gilan before turning back to look at his Rangers and at that moment, Gilan knew that he would not be exposed. A sigh of relief escaped him and he risked a glance to look at Halt. The gruff Ranger refused to look at him and he turned back to Crowley.

"So, how were the apprentices? Gilan?" Crowley prompted. Gilan nodded in return.

"Each of them surpassed my expectations. I only managed to spot them all once. They all have a lot of work to do. I knew where they were the whole time. Will seems to be the best at unseen movement. Next, Avina. And then Sage. I understand that he started his apprenticeship quite later than Will and Avina," Gilan reported. Crowley nodded at statement.

"Yes, he did," he confirmed. "He's a good learner, though, and I have no doubt he will be a fine Ranger."

"Neither do I."

Gilan almost sighed again in relief as Crowley turned to Meralon, who gestured for the Ranger to give his thoughts.

"All of them passed. All arrows were struck around the inner ring and in the time limit. Will seemed to shoot faster but also a little less accurate than the two. Sage would've finished before Avina, had she not used one of her arrows to correct the path of a stray arrow," Meralon mused.

"What happened?" Crowley asked, somewhat confused. Gilan felt the same way as he looked at Meralon with an interested look on his face.

"One of her arrows was shot carelessly and was going to miss the target. She fired another arrow, quite fast I must say, and knocked that one into the bull's eye. Impressive- but still."

Gilan was about to jump to her defense but Halt beat him to it.

"Yes, she shouldn't have made that mistake but she's still an apprentice and a damn good one at that. The fact that she knew that it was going stray and that she managed to correct it shows that she isn't going to risk failure," Halt said coolly.

"Though, it would've been better if she had left it," Gilan thought out loud and the others looked at him. "If she were in a fight then she shouldn't waste her arrows to right another," he explained. Meralon nodded.

"Well noted. All of them have potential to be some of our best archers," he added.

"Bartell?" Crowley continued on.

"Their map making and geography knowledge is excellent, and of course the constant recording of geological features will make them more in tune with their forgery skills," the Seacliff Ranger chuckled and glanced at Halt. Gilan also gave a snicker in amusement as his mentor had a mask on his face with a somewhat innocent look. Bartell carried on.

"I'd say that Sage is definitely the best at the map making and geography. He's a real drawer. And he should know his geography, considering his father is a knight. Avina seemed to be a little bit off in that area, though," he said thoughtfully.

"Avina isn't native to Araluen, so it's understandable," Halt commented.

"Will is a bit rusty in the drawing area but his memory is good and so is his thinking. They'll all make fine Rangers one day," Bartell replied warmly.

"One day," Halt muttered pessimistically and Gilan rolled his eyes.

"So then we're all in agreement?" asked Crowley, cheerfully. All of the present Rangers nodded in their approval.

"Great! Let's go eat!"

He would've raced out if Bartell hadn't let out a dry chuckle and asked, "Forgetting something?"

Crowley looked bewildered before letting out a, "Ah yes, their bronze whatsies! Oh, just give them yours, I'm starving!"

His hand swiped the little desk inside the tent as he moved around it to get to the entrance. A little metal clinking noise was heard and Crowley examined what it was. He bent over and picked up what had fallen- bronze oakleaves.

"Or I'll give them to you," he said sheepishly before handing some to Halt and jogging out of the tent. Halt growled.

"Can't he just take care of this himself?" he grumbled and followed after Crowley. Gilan merely gave a chuckle as he and Bartell also exited the tent.

* * *

Silence.

"Do you think we'll pass?"

Two apprentices gave a heavy sigh at the seemingly never ending question.

"Sage, calm down, I'm sure that we'll pass this stupid test," Avina snapped at the poor boy. Sage appeared to be unfazed and proceeded to whine.

"But. What if they decide to fail us?" he asked with a quivering lip and Avina could've sworn that one of her veins popped because she just wanted to smack the boy.

"Then they're idiots," she growled in reply. Will shifted uncomfortably as he stood between the two head-butting teens. He looked as if he wanted to move away and let the two figure it out themselves but he knew that Avina would only succeed in murdering Sage. The two proceeded to glare at each other venomously.

"I'm sure that Crowley, Halt, and Gilan will be back soon," Will said uneasily. "Maybe you two should just-"

"If you say 'calm down', I will rip your throat out," Avina threatened and Will took a step back. Luckily, Halt had heard the conversation as he was approaching and decided to step in before things got messy.

"I think it would be best if you left them in one piece," he commented lightly with an eyebrow raised and Avina could tell that he was more amused than warning.

"Did we pass?" Sage immediately bombared Halt and his expression deadened into a fixed glare. Sage recoiled and stood next to Will who was wary enough from all of the drama that had just conspired. Halt threw a necklace at the pair of boys and then froze. Crowley had only given him two, not three. Will and Sage didn't appear to notice for their faces were lit with huge grins and they were eyeing over the oakleaves as if they were rare jewels.

"Avina," Halt began. She raised her head and met his eyes, not one expression clouding her face. "Don't worry. You passed. I just don't have another necklace. I got two on accident"

She tipped her head with furrowed brows and she looked away to the ground. At least, Halt hoped that it was by accident and that his apprentice would stay as his apprentice. Apparently, Sage and Will had noticed that they were the only two celebrating and they were now staring at Avina and at Halt. Will shot Halt an accusing glare and for a moment, he thought that there was a possibility that Will believed that this was done on purpose.

"Don't worry, Avina, you'll have your oakleaf by the end of the day," he assured and she nodded coolly in response. Abruptly, her head snapped up and she gazed at the sky. The three followed her example but didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Clouds reflected upon her eyes.

"I'll be back," she said monotonously and silently walked past Halt. "Later."

"The feast is beginning soon," he reminded her but she merely waved her hand. Her voice raised to equalize her widening distance.

"I'll be back before it's over!"

**Once again, I'm really sorry for the long wait!**


	24. Of Apologies and New Beginnings

Dear Readers:

Thank you for your continuous support for my story Identities Crossed. Now, as all of you have realized, it has been quite a while since I have last updated this story. The reasons for that remain hidden to the public, other than the fact that school was giving me quite the kick in the arse. I would like to inform everyone that now that I am homeschooled, I will hopefully be uploading in a more regular fashion.

However, I have been taking into account the reviews that people have left me, and I must agree with quite a few of them. This story is indeed verging on just entertaining people rather than actually putting together a story that could hold its own. While it is interesting to people, it is quite similar to all of the other female ranger stories and is basically just another mary-sue. To those of you who have thought that, have no fear. And to those of you who like the story anyway, I hope you forgive me for what I am about to do.

I have decided to take Identities Crossed and destroy it. There will be a new story in its place called The Black Art. I will leave Identities Crossed up but I will no longer be uploading it. The Black Art will have many of the same characters, but a very different storyline and none of that female ranger stuff. Rest assured, this will not be a mary-sue but I hope it captures your attention as much as, if not more, than my previous story. The first chapter will be uploaded soon .

Thank you very much for your comments. I hope that you all will give my new story a look and write an honest opinion. I am very much open to criticism and ideas, and I hope to be seeing all of you soon. Once again, I do apologize for this (but hopefully you'll read The Black Art and you won't even care about the old story anymore).

Yona Rider


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